By Ifham Nizam

“Police should be clear in their definition of rape with consent and rape without consent, Founder Chairperson, Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCC) Dr. Tush Wickramanayake said.

“Rape is rape and police should be cautious in making statements on such issues. Lack of caution in making these statements allows culprits to get away easily, she added.

Speaking at a press briefing held at the Press Institute recently on the subject, Dr. Wickramanayake explained: “This year has been transformative for us. We’ve not only set benchmarks but also achieved several ‘firsts’ in the realm of child protection. We believe in the potential of Sri Lanka’s children and are committed to ensuring that their rights and safety are upheld.

“With the launch of the ‘Secure Schools Program,’ we intend to provide national-level training to strengthen teacher-student relationships, improve the psycho-social wellbeing of the child and promote non-violent conflict resolution via positive discipline strategies to end physical, mental and verbal punishments within schools in Sri Lanka.

“Educators and psychologists contend that teachers can effectively manage classrooms and nurture their students’ knowledge, skills, and abilities without resorting to physical punishment. The unique feature is that the program is focused on working cohesively with students, parents and teachers to establish ‘no-hit zones’ by following the UN-recognized INSPIRE module to end violence, conduct workshops to educate parents on improving communication with children and empowering students on sexuality education and on-line safety, child rights and global citizenship and the prevention of substance abuse.”

President, Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement and president, Sri Lanka Medical Association, Dr Vinya Ariyaratne said that up to October 31 this year more than 8,000 children were faced with cruelty and other such serious issues and of that some 80 per cent had to go in for psychological treatment.

Dr. Ariyaratne said that the number of such reported incidents would be much more if not for social and family related issues.

Dr. Ariyaratne added: “During the current economic crisis there is an unprecedented strain on health services. All efforts should be focused on preventing the alarming rise of physical and sexual abuse of children by empowering teachers through the inculcation of positive discipline techniques and providing compulsory sexual health education to children.

“Support mechanism should be introduced as in other countries, especially when it comes to teenage pregnancies.

“Child victims of sexual abuse were generally with single parents; thus, a comprehensive care system is the need of the hour.”

Saranga Disasekara, actor and Brand Ambassador of #NOguti explained: “At a time when Sri Lanka is crippled in many aspects of society, it is imperative that parents improve communication with their children and ensure their children can come to them without fear in any matter relating to their well-being; child protection is a collective social responsibility.”

In her message, Radika Gunaratne, Attorney-at-Law and human rights activist, was deeply concerned over a backlog of over 40,000 complaints of child abuse, revealed in a recent report by the Auditor General. “Justice delayed is justice denied. The system requires a fast forward re-set button to ensure that all relevant institutions responsible for child protection work cohesively to expedite the cases and provide relief to victims, some of whom have been suffering for years.”

Rtd DIG Priyantha Jayakody, a respected figure in law enforcement, reiterated in his message: “Child abuse is now a top grave crime in Sri Lanka. The police must act more vigorously to ensure the evidence is submitted to courts without delay to avoid burdens being placed on the law and order and judiciary services.”

Jayakody suggested introducing electronic tagging of suspects on bail to expedite cases.