Sri Lanka
24.09.01
Urgent Interventions
Sri Lanka : abduction, rape and murder of a young Tamil woman
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Abduction, rape and murder
LKA 240901.VAW
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Sri Lanka.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the abduction, rape and murder of a 23 year old Tamil woman at Kopiwatte near Nawalapitiya. According to the information, Ms. S. Umadevi was abducted on 12 September 2001 as she was walking home after attending a class in Nawalapitiya town and her body was discovered on the evening of 13 September in shrubland near the Malkanda bridge.
On the morning of 13 September, Ms. Umadevi's parents went to the Nawalapitiya police station in order to report their daughter missing. The victim's father reported that the police officer who recorded the complaint was uncooperative and refused to display a photograph of Ms. Umadevi, stating that "this girl must have gone off with some young man. What are we to do with this photo ?"
The same evening, the father of the victim heard that the body of a young woman had been found near the Malkanda bridge. He went to the place and identified the body as being that of his daughter. The father then reported the murder to the police at Nawalapitiya and provided them with the name of a possible suspect. To date, the police have not arrested any suspects in the case and they have not visited the home of the victim in order to conduct any investigations into the crime.
OMCT is gravely concerned about reports of rape and other forms of violence against Tamil women and girls in Sri Lanka, and, in particular, by the prevailing climate of impunity for the perpetrators of this violence. Most cases of violence against women are not thoroughly investigated and few prosecutions have resulted in proportionate and dissuasive punishments being applied to the perpetrators. The inadequate nature of the law enforcement response to cases of violence against women in Sri Lanka has lead to a lack of confidence in the police and the judiciary and subsequently to the under-reporting of this form of violence.
OMCT would like to reiterate that Sri Lanka has an obligation under international law to prevent, prosecute and punish acts of violence with due diligence, irrespective of whether these acts have been committed by State or non-State actors.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Sri Lanka urging them to:
i. ensure that Ms. Umadevi's family receive adequate reparation;
ii. guarantee an impartial and exhaustive inquiry into the abduction, murder and rape, bring those responsible before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. adopt immediate measures to put an end to all acts of violence against women;
iv. ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms at all times and in all circumstances in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
Her Excellency President Chandrika B. Kumaratunga, Presidential Residence, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka Fax: 94 - 1 - 333 - 703
Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Media, Old CTO Building Lotus Rd, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Inspector General of Police, Police Headquarters, New Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
I.P. Pradeep Ratnayake, O.I.C., Police Station, Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka, Fax. 94 8 252 854
Hon. Ambassador, Permanent Mission and Consulate General of Sri Lanka, 56, Rue De Moillebeau, 5th Floor, 1 209, Geneva 19, Switzerland, Fax: (41-22) 734 9084, E-mail: mission.srilanka@itu.ch
Hon. High-Commissioner, The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 13 Hyde Park Gardens London W2 2LU United Kingdom Fax: (0171) 262-7970, E-mail: lancom@easynet.co.uk
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in your respective countries.
Kindly inform the International Secretariat of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Geneva, 24 September 2001
Abduction, rape and murder
LKA 240901.VAW
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Sri Lanka.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by a reliable source of the abduction, rape and murder of a 23 year old Tamil woman at Kopiwatte near Nawalapitiya. According to the information, Ms. S. Umadevi was abducted on 12 September 2001 as she was walking home after attending a class in Nawalapitiya town and her body was discovered on the evening of 13 September in shrubland near the Malkanda bridge.
On the morning of 13 September, Ms. Umadevi's parents went to the Nawalapitiya police station in order to report their daughter missing. The victim's father reported that the police officer who recorded the complaint was uncooperative and refused to display a photograph of Ms. Umadevi, stating that "this girl must have gone off with some young man. What are we to do with this photo ?"
The same evening, the father of the victim heard that the body of a young woman had been found near the Malkanda bridge. He went to the place and identified the body as being that of his daughter. The father then reported the murder to the police at Nawalapitiya and provided them with the name of a possible suspect. To date, the police have not arrested any suspects in the case and they have not visited the home of the victim in order to conduct any investigations into the crime.
OMCT is gravely concerned about reports of rape and other forms of violence against Tamil women and girls in Sri Lanka, and, in particular, by the prevailing climate of impunity for the perpetrators of this violence. Most cases of violence against women are not thoroughly investigated and few prosecutions have resulted in proportionate and dissuasive punishments being applied to the perpetrators. The inadequate nature of the law enforcement response to cases of violence against women in Sri Lanka has lead to a lack of confidence in the police and the judiciary and subsequently to the under-reporting of this form of violence.
OMCT would like to reiterate that Sri Lanka has an obligation under international law to prevent, prosecute and punish acts of violence with due diligence, irrespective of whether these acts have been committed by State or non-State actors.
Action requested:
Please write to the authorities of Sri Lanka urging them to:
i. ensure that Ms. Umadevi's family receive adequate reparation;
ii. guarantee an impartial and exhaustive inquiry into the abduction, murder and rape, bring those responsible before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and administrative sanctions provided by law;
iii. adopt immediate measures to put an end to all acts of violence against women;
iv. ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms at all times and in all circumstances in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses:
Her Excellency President Chandrika B. Kumaratunga, Presidential Residence, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka Fax: 94 - 1 - 333 - 703
Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Media, Old CTO Building Lotus Rd, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Inspector General of Police, Police Headquarters, New Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
I.P. Pradeep Ratnayake, O.I.C., Police Station, Nawalapitiya, Sri Lanka, Fax. 94 8 252 854
Hon. Ambassador, Permanent Mission and Consulate General of Sri Lanka, 56, Rue De Moillebeau, 5th Floor, 1 209, Geneva 19, Switzerland, Fax: (41-22) 734 9084, E-mail: mission.srilanka@itu.ch
Hon. High-Commissioner, The High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka 13 Hyde Park Gardens London W2 2LU United Kingdom Fax: (0171) 262-7970, E-mail: lancom@easynet.co.uk
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in your respective countries.
Kindly inform the International Secretariat of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Geneva, 24 September 2001