Proposed Penal Code amendment and threat of promotion of sexual abuse of children – VIII

by Kalyananda Tiranagama
Executive Director
Lawyers for Human Rights and Development
(Part VII of this article appeared in The Island of 20 June 2023)

Although there is no public annoyance, under S. 63 (j) of the Police Ordinance any Police officer has the power to arrest without a warrant ‘any person who wilfully and indecently exposes his person or any offensive deformity or disease’ in any street or road, thoroughfare or passage within the limits of any town, if the offence was committed within his view.

However, if S. 365 and S. 365A are repealed as proposed in the Bill, there will be no legal bar whatsoever for any groups to display their sexual orientation in public without directly engaging in a sexual act.

S. 365A of the Penal Code dealt not only with persons committing acts of gross indecency, but also with any person who procures or attempts to precure the commission by any person, of an act of gross indecency with another person. With the repeal of S. 365A, procuration of a child above 16 years of age to another person for commission of an act of carnal intercourse against the order nature or gross indecency or grave sexual abuse will no longer be an offence.

Tourism can be promoted with children, both male and female, above the age of 16 years procured for engaging in sexual acts with foreign tourists, without any fear of being prosecuted.

LGBT persons will be able to openly display their sexual orientation by engaging in acts preliminary to having carnal intercourse. For instance, two men or two women can publicly embrace each other intimately, touching their bodies and kissing each other. It may not cause any public annoyance, according to the proposed law. Other than the LGBT groups, there may be others who are dreaming of western moral values on Sri Lankan society appreciating.

Though there is no legal bar, it will certainly have a pernicious influence on children on the younger generation causing, an irreparable harm.

Inevitable Consequences of the Passage of the Bill – Promotion of Sexual Abuse of Children and Youth

Let us see what will be the plight of children and youth of this country if this Bill is passed by Parliament:

When S. 365 of the Penal Code dealing with the offence of carnal intercourse against the order of nature (anal sex and oral sex) with any man or woman and S. 365A dealing with the offence of gross indecency (acts of same-sex of men and women both) are repealed, making these sexual activities no longer offences punishable under the law, it will result in the removal of protection afforded to children by these two Sections against sexual abuse in respect of these offences.

The ASG had submitted to Court that no lacuna in law will be caused by the amendments proposed in the Bill, as S. 365B of the Penal Code dealing with the offence of grave sexual abuse will provide adequate protection to the children against sexual abuse.

On an analysis of S. 365B, it clearly shows that S. 365B will not provide any protection to children in the most vulnerable age group against sexual abuse.

Grave sexual abuse dealt with by S. 365B is an act committed by any person, for sexual gratification, using his genitals or any other part of the human body or any instrument on any orifice or part of the body of any other person, being an act which does not amount to rape under S. 363 of the Penal Code.

Unlike in the case of carnal intercourse against the order of nature and gross indecency, in grave sexual abuse the act itself is not an offence.

It becomes an offence only where it is committed (a) with or without consent on a person under 16 years of age; or (b) without consent of the person; or (c) with the consent of the person obtained while such other person was (i) in lawful or unlawful detention, or (ii) by use of force, or intimidation or threat of detention or by putting such other person in fear of death or hurt; (iii) with the consent obtained at a time the other person was of unsound mind or was in a state of intoxication induced by alcohol or drugs.

This section provides protection against sexual abuse only to children under 16 years of age. What is the protection available for children in the age group of 16 – 18? Any person can commit any of the sexual acts mentioned in S. 365B – anal sex, oral sex, fingering, homosexual acts – with any child over 16 years of age with the consent of the child.

Under the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) ratified by Sri Lanka in 1991, every person under 18 years of age is a child entitled to all the rights guaranteed by the Convention including the right to protection from sexual abuse. The Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 22 of 1995 and the Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 16 of 2006 provide protection to all children under 18 years of age against abuse sexual or otherwise in respect of most of the offences dealt with by them: – S. 286A – Using children for obscene or indecent publications or shows; S. 286B – Duty of a person providing computer services to prevent sexual abuse of a child; S. 286C – Duty to inform use of premises for child abuse; S. 308A – Cruelty to children; S. 360B – Sexual exploitation of children; S. 360C – Trafficking of children; S. 360E – Soliciting a child. In all these sections the word ‘child’ is defined to mean a person under 18 years of age.

The International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No. 57 of 2007, while recognising a person under 18 years of age as a child, by S.5(1)© has guaranteed the rights of every such child to be protected from abuse.

If any person commits an act of grave sexual abuse with a person over 16 years of age with consent obtained by adopting any of the methods mentioned in the Section such as use of force, intimidation, or threats or while in a state of intoxication, then it becomes an offence punishable under the law.

What is the position if consent is obtained through deceit or offering some benefits or presents or some promises? There are numerous other ways to obtain the consent of children and youth, inexperienced in life, for committing sexual acts with them such as developing a close friendship, or offering some presents like a mobile phone or offer of a foreign trip or other deceitful conduct. Then it will not be an offence punishable under S. 365B.

S. 365B will not provide any protection to children belonging to the age group of 16 to 18 years and they will be left without any protection and open to abuse.

Who are these children belonging to the age group of 16 to 18 years? They are mostly children studying in O Level and Advanced Level Classes in schools. In any given year there are more than 500,000 thousand students studying in these classes. They belong to the most vulnerable age group, amenable to the influence of social and other media promoting this type of conduct. All this time these activities remained grave crimes, punishable with deterrent penalties. When this Bill becomes law, when these activities are decriminalised, as persons over 16 years of age they will be able to openly and freely discuss about these things and freely engage in any of these activities of their choice.

Within a few years of the passage of the Bill, it will be almost impossible to maintain discipline in schools and other higher education institutes. It is no secret that homosexual connections are observed to certain extent among students in hostels in schools and universities. At present it is frowned upon as conduct illegal and unacceptable. When homosexuality is legalised, one can see the number of human rights violation applications coming before the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka against the hostel Wardens and heads of institutions who try to maintain discipline in them.

It will certainly result in two or three-fold increase in the number of complaints of sexual abuse of children which remains continuously increasing over the years.

It will result in the destruction of moral, cultural and ethical base of our society.

Duty and Responsibility of Parliament to Protect the Rights of all Children

Even Sanjaya Jayawardana, PC, appearing for the proponent of the Bill MP Dolawatta admitted in his submissions that even if the Court was of the view that repealing S. 365A would encourage persons of whatever sexual orientation to behave in an indecent manner in public and whether such conduct is, in the view of the Court, morally repugnant and against the social and cultural ethic of this country, that would not be a matter for the Court but one that is entirely left to the Legislature.

The Supreme Court has expressed its opinion on this matter in the Determination on the Bill in these terms: ‘‘That does not mean that men or women or transgender persons can frequent public places in a manner that creates a nuisance to others using such public places, or that they can engage in any other illegal acts or behave in a manner that affects the rights, health or property of others. However, we must reiterate that it is a matter that comes within the legislative policy of the State which shall be guided by the provisions of Art. 75 and 27. It is a matter that comes within the legislative power of the people which shall be exercised by Parliament in trust for the People.’’

Under Article 75, the Parliament has the power to enact or repeal any law; In enacting laws the Parliament is exercising the legislative power of the people in trust for the People. Article 27 contains the Directive Principles of State Policy that shall guide the Parliament in the enactment of laws. In the enactment of this Bill the Parliament should be guided by the Directive Principles in Article 27 (12) and (13): 27(12) The State shall recognize and protect the family as the basic unit of society. 27(13) – The State shall promote with special care the interests of children and youth, so as to ensure their full development physical, mental, moral, religious and social and to protect them from exploitation and discrimination.

Instead of promoting with special care the interests of children and youth, this Bill has the effect of jeopardising the interests of children and youth exposing them to sexual abuse and retarding their physical, mental, moral, religious and social development.

Every Member of Parliament must understand that it is their duty and responsibility to exercise their legislative power entrusted to them by the People with due diligence in the best interests of the people and the country, protecting and promoting the rights of vulnerable groups like women and children, without carrying out foreign agendas and being moved away by slogans.

(Concluded)