News
SL College of Psychiatrists condemns caning of girl
Statement by the Sri Lanka College of Psychiatrists on the recent beating to death of a nine-year-old girl in Delgoda in a brutal exorcism ritual
It was widely reported in both public and social media recently that a nine-year-old girl was caned to death by an exorcist in the belief that it would drive an evil spirit away. It was further reported that the mother of the girl believed her daughter had been possessed by a demon and took her to the home of the ritualistic healer so a ritual could be performed. The police media spokesman reported that the exorcist first applied oil on the girl and then began to hit her repeatedly with a cane, due to the belief that the demon needed to be expelled.
Caning a 9-year-old is considered a cruel act in any civilized society but caning a nine-year-old child until she dies is downright barbaric and inhuman. Such acts belong firmly to stone-age societies. From the information available to us, this child was caned as an act of exorcism. Just the rationale of beating a vulnerable body of a nine-year-old to punish a demon is beyond belief. The beliefs in demonic possession and exorcism too belong to another era and relate to a belief system of middle ages in Europe. Such ancient thinking is still common in our society and seen in all segments of society. We would like to note that deaths and suffering due to ancient beliefs and practices are more common than this reported case.
We in Sri Lanka too have made little progress in countering these ancient beliefs and practices over the last 50 years. However, Psychiatry and other related psychological sciences have advanced to the extent that these so-called possession states and other similar behaviours can be explained and treated.
It is well known that possession states occur when there is a temporary loss of sense of personal identity and the individual may act as if they have been taken over by another personality, spirit or force. It is a psychiatric disorder called “Possession disorder” for which effective psychological and behavioural treatments are available. This may occur due to underlying significant stressors that the individual may be undergoing and may be associated with clinical depression. Medication may be helpful in such situations.
These individuals who repeatedly go into trance and possession states should be referred for psychiatric assessments following which they may be referred for psychiatric or psychological treatments. Today, every district in Sri Lanka has a general psychiatry and a child psychiatry clinic that can investigate these abnormal behaviours and deliver treatment. But unnecessary suffering and death due to persistent belief in demonic forces continue to happen. We would like to urge the Health Ministry, Education Ministry and the media to join us in educating the public about the real nature of these beliefs and practices.
The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Sahyadri which arrived at the Port of Colombo on a formal visit on 04 Apr 25, departed the island today (07 Apr). The Sri Lanka Navy bade customary farewell to the departing ship at the Port of Colombo, following naval traditions.
During the ship’s stay in Colombo, crew members of INS Sahyadri took part in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy, aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation. In addition, they also explored some tourist attractions in the country. Further, personnel of Sri Lanka Navy had the opportunity to visit INS Sahyadri, gaining insights into her operational capabilities.
Latest News
Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
The Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre has issued an Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district.
The advisory issued at 02.00 p.m. today [07 April 2025] is valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 April 2025
The public are warned that thundershowers accompanied by severe lightning are likely to occur at several places in for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambantota district. There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers. General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.
ACTION REQUIRED:
The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
• Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
• Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
• For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.
The report of the “Census of Population and Housing 2024,” conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, was officially handed over to President Anura Kumara Disanayake this morning (07) at the Presidential Secretariat.
This preliminary report has been prepared based on island wide data collected between October and December 2024.
The report provides details on Sri Lanka’s population, its growth and the distribution of the population across districts.
The information gathered through the census is vital not only for the government but also for other institutions in formulating policies and development plans essential for the country’s progress. Significantly, for the first time in the history of census-collecting in Sri Lanka, data collection was carried out using tablet computers and user-friendly mobile devices.
The event was attended by Deputy Minister of Finance & Planning, Harshana Suriyapperuma, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance Mahinda Siriwardana, Director General of the Department of Census and Statistics D.D.G.A. Senevirathne and several other officials.
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Advisory for severe lightning issued for Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Hambanthota district
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