Uncle Santha jailed for 28 years for abusing a seven-year-old child

Badulla High Court Judge Jeyaraman Trosky recently ordered a 41-year-old man, who was found guilty of four charges related to the serious sexual abuse of a seven-year-old boy in 2022, to 28 years of rigorous imprisonment, with the sentence to be served concurrently over a period of seven years.

Ridimaliyadda Police confirmed that the person sentenced to imprisonment was an unmarried individual named Wijethunga Mudiyanselage Premaratne, also known as 'Santha Mama', residing in the Kudalunuka area. Among the four charges filed against the defendant, rigorous imprisonment of seven years was imposed for each charge, and a fine of five thousand rupees for each charge, totaling twenty thousand rupees for all charges, was also imposed. If the defendant fails to pay the fine, he will have to serve a lenient prison sentence of three months for each charge.

In addition, the High Court Judge, through his verdict, stated that a compensation of two hundred and fifty thousand rupees should be paid for the abused child, and if the said compensation is not paid, the defendant would be subjected to an additional one year of simple imprisonment. According to a complaint received by the Ridimaliyadda Police Station, these investigations were initiated under the instructions of the then Assistant Superintendent of Police for the Mahiyanganaya Division, Mr. W.P.S. Palipana. Accordingly, after extensive investigations conducted by a team including the former OIC of Ridimaliyadda Police, Chief Police Inspector R.C. Weerakoon, and Woman Police Sergeant Janitha (1751), a case was filed against the defendant.