News
Shocking number of child abuse and rape cases overwhelm Lanka’s Magistrates’ Courts
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe last week revealed a distressing truth that nearly one-third of the cases awaiting resolution in Magistrates’ courts throughout the country involve child abuse and rape. Expressing deep concern, the Minister urged Sri Lankans to feel a sense of shame and regret over this alarming situation that tarnishes the nation’s reputation.
Out of the 29,723 lawsuits currently pending before the Magistrates’ Courts, a staggering 5,550 cases relate to child abuse, while 4,312 cases involve rape. Shockingly, these horrific offenses collectively account for 33 percent of the total cases. Minister Rajapakshe emphasized the need for immediate action to combat these wrongdoings, which not only inflict harm on victims but also reflect poorly on the cultural values of the nation, as they are exposed to the scrutiny of other countries.
Minister Rajapakshe underscored the government’s efforts to protect children, stating that 25 laws aimed at ensuring their safety had been enacted by Parliament in the past ten months. However, he also acknowledged that cases of murder, attempted murder, and dangerous drugs constitute a significant portion of the pending cases, totaling 6,661, or roughly 22 percent of the total.
Disturbingly, the Minister revealed that child abuse, rape, murder, attempted murder, and dangerous drugs cases collectively make up 55 percent of the total cases before the Magistrates’ Courts, further highlighting the urgent need to address these grave issues.
Furthermore, the Minister drew attention to the staggering backlog in the judicial system, with a total of 1,127,265 cases pending across Sri Lanka. He expressed concern over the insufficient number of judges available to handle this overwhelming caseload, with a mere 399 judges assigned from the Supreme Court to the Magistrates’ Courts.
The Minister’s revelations have sparked outrage and concern among the public, signaling the pressing need for comprehensive and effective measures to combat child abuse, rape, and other serious crimes. It is imperative for the government, law enforcement agencies, and society as a whole to join forces to protect the vulnerable and ensure justice for the victims. Immediate action must be taken to strengthen laws, increase resources, and promote awareness to create a safer environment for all Sri Lankans, free from the specter of such heinous offenses.
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Food Policy and Security Committee recommends importation of rice to ensure an uninterrupted supply
The Food Policy and Security Committee has recommended the importation of rice in the near future to ensure an uninterrupted supply for consumers.
A notable increase in rice prices has been observed in the market, along with reports of shortages of certain rice varieties, despite the current harvest season.
Given this situation, discussions were held regarding the need for the Cabinet to prioritize the maintenance of sufficient stock, through rice imports.
The Committee, chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation K.D. Lalkantha and Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Vasantha Samarasinghe, convened for the fifth time at the Presidential Secretariat on Tuesday (01). The meeting aimed to formulate policy decisions to ensure food security.
During the discussions, it was revealed that due to excessive rainfall this year, crop damage occurred on two occasions, leading to a significant reduction in the expected harvest.
Furthermore, during the meeting it was stated that the improper use of rice for animal feed is another major reason contributing to the rice shortage. As a result, the Committee also focused on the importation of broken rice for animal feed and the use of alternative feeds to mitigate the impact on livestock production.
Accordingly, the Food Policy and Security Committee approved the formation of a Committee, led by the Director General of Agriculture, to oversee the importation of the required quantity of broken rice through proper mechanisms.
Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri, Senior Additional Secretary to the President Kapila Janaka Bandara, and other members of the Food Policy and Security Committee, including Ministry Secretaries, participated in the discussions.
The People of Myanmar are facing immense hardships caused by the devastating earthquake on 28th March and as reported by the international media reports the death toll is over 2,700. Furthermore, it has been reported that many people are missing while, a large number of individuals have been injured and are receiving treatment.
Considering the long – term close relationship between the two nations as two Buddhist states, the Cabinet of Ministers has decided to provide,
• A sum of United States Dollars One Million
• Transportation for the dry rations collected by Buddhist clergy and other donors
• To have a group of medical officers and health staff on standby for immediate departure to Myanmar if necessary
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Cabinet appoints ministerial committee to submit report on sanctions imposed on 04 Sri Lankans by the United Kingdom
Attention of the Cabinet of Ministers have been drawn on the decisions taken by the United Kingdom to impose sanctions on four Sri Lankan individuals recently, and have decided to appoint a committee comprised of three ministers to submit a report with recommendations on the further measures to be taken after studying the facts in the regard and to empower the committee to obtain the service of any officer/intellect deemed to have subject expertise in the relevant field and considered essential.
The committee will comprise of :
– Vijitha Herath Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism
– Attorney – at – Law Harshana Nanayakkara Minister of Justice and National Integrity
– Aruna Jayasekara Deputy Minister of Defence
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