Anuradhapura soldier's rape: Irrelevant persons removed from court, doctor testifies

The hearing of evidence in the case against a former army soldier, in connection with the severe sexual harassment and rape of a trained pediatrician who worked at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital inside her official residence, commenced before the Anuradhapura High Court. When the case was called before North Central Provincial High Court Judge Mr. Indika Attanayake, the victim doctor appeared before the court for the first time and gave her testimony for over one and a half hours.

Before commencing this sensitive evidence hearing, the High Court Judge took steps to remove all parties not relevant to the case from the open courtroom. Representing the Attorney General, Senior State Counsel Ms. Himali Jayanetti led the prosecution, while Attorneys-at-Law Mr. Suranga Mohotti and Mr. Gayan Siriwardena appeared for the accused former soldier. Furthermore, the court was informed that Attorneys-at-Law Kujana Banagoda, Madara Wijesinghe, Janith Mahasen, and Subhashini Weerakkody appeared on behalf of the victim doctor's rights, under the instructions of President's Counsel Mr. Kalinga Indatissa.

In connection with this crime committed on or around March 10, 2025, the Attorney General has filed indictments against the former army soldier K.B. Maduranga Rathnayake, a resident of Galnewa New Town, under Sections 345 and 364(1) of the Amended Penal Code. It is noteworthy that this case was directly filed before the High Court by State Counsel Akila Dalpadadu of the Attorney General's Department on May 22, 2026, without a non-summary preliminary inquiry usually held in a lower Magistrate's Court. Additionally, the accused had previously pleaded guilty to a separate charge of stealing the smart mobile phone belonging to the doctor after the incident, for which he had been sentenced to six months in prison.

For this case, 42 individuals have been named as witnesses, including Specialist Judicial Medical Officer Sampath Senathunga, Anuradhapura Headquarters Chief Police Inspector R.M. Jayaweera, OIC of the Children and Women's Bureau Nishani Seneviratne, and Sub-Inspector C. Dayananda. Additionally, numerous case exhibits have been listed as evidence, including the knife used in the crime, clothes, bedsheets, blood and hair samples, the mobile phone, as well as Government Analyst's reports and DNA reports from Genetech Institute.

The High Court Judge, who ordered the relevant institutions to submit the Government Analyst's report related to the mobile phone and the call analysis report on the next court date, adjourned further evidence hearing until October 19. On that day, the victim doctor and her father, who is the second witness in the case, were ordered to appear before the court to provide further testimony.