News

Eighteen percent increase in rape of underage girls between 2019 and 2020

Published

5 years ago

2021/12/25

57 per cent increase in narcotic related crimes during the same period

There was a 4% increase in rape of females above 16 years, in 2020, compared to 2019, the Performance Report of the Sri Lanka Police for the year 2020 reveals. About 289 such crimes were reported in 2029, and in 2020 the number of reported incidents increased to 300. Police say they brought to justice the perpetrators in 94% of the cases.

About 1292 cases of statutory rape of women under 16 were reported in 2020. This is an increase of 9% compared to the situation in 2019, when 1,185 such crimes were reported. The percentage of solving these crimes was 97% in 2020.

Some 305 incidents of rape of girls below 16 years have been reported in 2019 and in 2020; the number has increased to 361, a hike of 18%. The percentage of solving these crimes in 2020 is 92%. The total number of crimes under the above three categories in 2020 has increased compared to those in 2019.

The report had divided incidents of rape into three categories. The rape of females over 16, the statutory rape of females under 16 with the consent of the victim, and the rape females under 16 years without their consent.

Offences related to ‘abduction’ have declined in 2020 compared to those in 2018 and 2019, the Performance Report says.

Compared to 2019, incidents of abductions dropped from 663 to 633, by 4%. The percentage of solving them too went up from 85% in 2019 to 89% in 2020, the report said.

In 2020, 166 crimes related to kidnapping were reported and this is a 21% decline compared with the 212 kidnappings reported in 2019. The percentage of solving such crimes in 2020 was 90%.

In 2020, the number burglaries went down by 20%. Some 6,499 cases were reported compared to the 8,143 incidents reported in 2019. The percentage of solving such crimes in 2020 was 58%, an increase from 55% in 2019, the report said.

There was also a 3% drop in homicides in 2020 as well, compared to 2019. About 479 homicides were reported in 2019 and in 2020, the number dropped by 3%, to 464. The report says 94% of such cases were solved.

Robberies too declined in 2020, it says. Some 2,944 robberies were reported in 2019 and in 2020, and the number dropped by 27% to 2148. The percentage of robberies solved in 2020 was 67%.

There were 677 incidents grave sexual abuse in 2020. There were 710 such cases reported in 2019.

The report adds that a considerable number of crimes categorised under criminal breach of trust and criminal misuse of amounts exceeding Rs. 300,000, have been reported. However, compared to 2019, there has been a substantial decline of 45%. There were 5,251 incidents reported in 2019. Police solved 52% of such cases in 2020.

The performance report reveals that 4,905 cases of theft of property worth more than Rs. 25000 were committed in 2019. This dropped by 17% to 4,073 in 2020. Police solved 68% of such cases in 2020.

However, there has been a considerable increase in crimes related to narcotics in 2020 in comparison to 2019. The Report says that 4,340 such crimes were reported in 2019, and the number increased dramatically to 6,811 in 2020, a jump of 57%. The police solved 99% of these cases in 2019 and 2020.

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Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrives in Colombo

Published

3 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

The Italian Naval Vessel ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ arrived in Sri Lanka today, 9 September 2026, on a replenishment visit.

The Sri Lanka Navy welcomed the visiting ship in accordance with naval traditions at the port of Colombo.

‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is a 180m long Landing Helicopter Aircraft Vessel commanded by Captain Marco GUERRIERO.

During the ship’s stay in Sri Lanka, the Commanding Officer of ‘ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi’ is scheduled to call on the Commander Western Naval Area.

News

Bangladesh bank on bowlers in bid to bring India down

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Bangladesh will look to curb Shafali Verma's aggression [cRICINFO]

If Bangladesh take the route of seeking inspiration from the past to bring down heavyweights India on Thursday, they will have to squint their eyes and go back to pre-Covid times for their last victory against them in the Women’s Asia Cup. India have had the better of their neighbours over their last eight meetings, and last lost to Bangladesh in a T20I three years ago, when a very similar-looking Indian batting line-up was kept to 102 for 9.

Before that, Bangladesh had shocked India with back-to-back wins that culminated in their maiden Asia Cup title, by again stifling India to an underwhelming 112 for 9.

The Bangladesh team of today – as their recent fights have shown over the last two World Cups – is a version far improved from the ones of 2018 and 2023. They have scared teams like Australia and England (ODI World Cup) and India (T20 World Cup) in the last 12 months and they recently beat the higher ranked Pakistan in the UK by keeping them to 100 for 8.

It is this bowling strength that Bangladesh must bank on to try and bring down India, whose batting has stuttered every now and then, including a collapse of 8 for 46 against Thailand earlier in the tournament. India have had middle-order issues for a while now – it’s one of the things that kept them from a knockout berth in the last T20 World Cup – and Bangladesh will be itching to strike while the iron is hot.

They have laid the foundations in the last 10 days by routing Indonesia for 58, making Sri Lanka sweat in a chase of 115, and suffocating UAE’s batters to 69 for 9 with semi-finals qualification on the line.

Pratika Rawal, India’s No. 3 for this tournament in place of the injured Jemimah Rodrigues, hasn’t quite shown the promise in this format that she has in ODIs. Her 36 runs in three innings have come at a strike rate of just 109.09, against some of the lower-ranked teams in the world. Now into the knockouts, the time is ripe for Rawal to step up against one of the stronger bowling attacks of the tournament, especially if one of the openers doesn’t get going.

Swing bowler Marufa Akter is doing Marufa Akter things at this Asia Cup. She has struck in her opening spell in each of her three games so far – including the big scalp of Chamari Athapathuthu for 1. She has made the ball talk with her prodigious swing, and is the top wicket-taker in this Asia Cup among pace bowlers, with an economy rate of 3.27. She will hold the key for Bangladesh as they come up against a top order comprising Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma and Rawal.

Team news

After constant chopping and changing during the T20 World Cup in the UK, India have gone unchanged in the three games of this tournament. They will be expected to field the same XI again.

India (probable): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Bharti Fulmali, Deepti Sharma, Prema Rawat, Kranti Gaud, N Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma.

Bangladesh have used 14 players, in comparison, including a debut for 17-year-old allrounder Farjana Easmin. They may not make too many changes this time as the two players who came into the XI on Tuesday – Rabeya Khan and Sharmin Akter – played starring roles in beating UAE.

Bangladesh (probable): Juairiya Ferdous, Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Sobhana Mostary, Dilara Akter, Shorna Akter, Rabeya Khan, Sharmin Akter, Nahida Akter, Sultana Khatun, Marufa Akter, Fahima Khatun.

[Cricinfo]

News

Establishment of National Trade Negotiation Committee (NTFC) and Trade Policy Consultation Committee.

Published

10 hours ago

2026/09/9

Priyan

Approval has been granted at the cabinet meeting held on 24-08-2026 to implement the recommendations submitted by the committee appointed to review Sri Lanka’s current Free Trade Agreements and future course of Free Trade Agreements in Sri Lanka.

Taking into account these recommendations, it has been
recognized the necessity of establishing a National Trade Negotiation Committee and Trade Policy Consultation Committee enabling Sri Lanka to follow a more targeted, sequential, and evidence-based approach in conducting negotiations for Sri Lanka’s future Free Trade Agreements and to ensure a sustainable and meaningful stakeholder consultation process.

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Trade, Commercial, Food Security, and Cooperative Development to act as follows.

• Establishment of a National Trade Negotiation Committee to guide trade discussions conducted with potential bilateral or regional trade partners
• Appointment of the Secretary to the Ministry of Trade, Commerce, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as the Chairman of the National Trade Negotiation Committee and
the Chief National Trade Negotiator.
• Establishment of 12 subject specific sub- committees with the required technical working groups under the National Trade Negotiation Committee
• Appointment of Trade Policy Consultative Committee comprising of trade experts, researchers engaged in research relevant to trade field, business community, unions, civil societies and relevant public officers to instruct the National Trade Negotiation Committee on active and technical sectors, to submit the policy recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers regarding the matters relevant to the trade agreements, to inquire sustainable ideas regarding the Free Trade Agreements, and to ensure the communication mechanism.
• The Minister in charge of the Subject international trade and the Minister in charge of the subject of Industry to serve as Co-Chairpersons of the Trade Policy Advisory Committee.