Lawyers in knots over veddha marriage

Pic and story by Palitha Ariyawansha
A question whether the courts could take up a case involving the Veddha community came up at the Badulla High court on Friday after police charged a Veddha youth with raping an underaged Veddha girl.

In this case taken up before High court judge W.A.T.Ratnayake, a 20-year-old Veddha youth had been charged with raping a 15 year old girl in Dambana in 1999. The arrest was made on a complaint made to police by the girl's mother who reportedly was unhappy over the relationship as she did not belong to the veddha community.

Lawyers for the accused said that according to Veddha customs there was no registration of marriages and what was considered marriage was when a girl selected a man she chose to live with once she attained age. They argued that when the reported incident occurred the couple had already been living together for three months and it was legal according to Veddha laws.

However State Counsel Harshana Nanayayakkara told courts that given the unusual nature of the case the Attorney General's advice had been sought and he moved that the case be postponed until such time.

Accordingly the judge postponed the case for April 30.

The Veddha community chief Uruwarige Vanniyaleththo was among those present in court when the case was taken up.

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