Last Thursday (7) in Weerahela in Tissa, Lalani Pushpa Kumari, 32, and her daughter Senara Nilmini, 6, were killed in cold blood while Lalani’s husband was seriously injured.
Little Senara was a student at Weerahela Kanishta Vidyalaya, where her 10-year-old brother was also a student. The little boy came upon the bloodstained bodies of his mother and sister lying inside their house while his father lay in a critical condition from cut injuries. The shocked boy cried out in fear for help.
Neighbours who rushed to their house, took the injured man to Debarawewa hospital, and he was later transferred to the Hambantota base hospital.
While the reason for the murders was yet unknown, this was one more addition to the spate of killings that have taken place in the recent past.
Just over a week ago on Wednesday (30), in Warapitiya, Kahawatte, rekindling fear among the people in the area, two sisters were burnt to death inside their house. The victims were Hethuge Dayawathi, 58, and Hethuge Thilakwathi, 51.
According to media reports, 11 women have been killed in the Kahawatte area between 2008 and January 2012.
On March 20, two monks of the Kotte Rajamaha Vihara, namely, Ven. Pitigala Jinasiri Thera and Ven. Borelasgamuwe Gunarathana Thera were killed.
On January 31, P. Nayana Nilmini, 52, and her daughter Kavindhya Chathurangi Sellahewa, 19, were gruesomely killed by persons allegedly involved in the heroin trade.
The list would be longer if all the murders committed during the first five months of this year are included.
Apart from these homicides, there have been numerous incidents of rape and child abuse reported in the media during this period.
Although there had been an increase in the number of rapes committed during the first three months of this year, no such increase was recorded in the number of homicides, when compared with the corresponding period last year, Police Spokesman SP Ajith Rohana told the Sunday Times.
He also noted that there had been an increase in the number of statutory rapes, i.e. a rape of minors - under 16-years of age - during the first three months of this year. The number of extortions do not show any particular trend, he added.
Sri Jayawardhanapura University Sociology & Anthropology Department Head Professor M.W. Jayasundera confirmed that homicides were certainly on the increase.
Citing an example, he said that a criminal would kill a woman after raping her, so that the victim-cum-only witness was disposed of.
“There has been a recent pattern where criminals kill the whole family, so as not to leave witnesses,” he noted.
Referring to the recent spate of killings in the Kahawatte area, he could not opine on the trend in the country as a whole.
He observed that there had been similar patterns of this nature in the last 10 to 15 years,”
“Therefore, one could not conclude that there is an increasing trend in homicides.”
But he lamented on the dearth of statistics on homicides during the first five months of this year. “Without the latest statistics, I could not say whether or not there is an increase in the number of homicides this year, compared with last year,” he said.
However, the professor is also of the view that there is an increase in the instances of rape and child abuse. “Teledramas based on illicit love affairs and related experiences could be responsible for the increasing number of rapes,” he opined.
He pointed out that, unlike in the past, when people frequented religious places more often, now they prefer to stay home and watch TV, especially teledramas. “The storyline of most films and teledramas arouse the sensual feelings in men,” he charged.
He argued that social attitudes and lifestyles of the younger generation keep on changing. “With these changes come different trends,” he said.
Current fashions, especially of women, badly affect the temperament of young people. “What westernised young women wear in public would certainly arouse the feelings of men around them,” he added.
It is a fact that close relatives are responsible for most of the child abuse cases. We cannot get rid of them, he said. “Change in attitude is one way to handle these types of crimes,” he said, while pointing out that 10 to 20 years ago, such crimes were minimal.
Freedom and liberty afforded to homosexuality also contributes to the increase in child abuse, especially boys, who are the main victims,” he said. “Certain NGOs are funding and promoting homosexuality,” he alleged.
He added that, even some doctors support this idea, stating that it was in one’s genes.
He also pointed out that economic factors also contribute to the increase in child abuse.
Trinco murder suspects
remanded
From our Trinco correspondent
The two suspects Akila Menaka and Dinesh, arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Colombo on Wednesday, in connection with the killing of Easwarathasan Kethiswaran, 28, at Iyankerni in Trincomalee town on April 18 night, were produced at the Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court on Thursday evening and remanded till June 20.
The court further ordered an identification parade.
What lawyers have to say
No change in homicides, but rapes, child abuse increase
There is no particular increase or decrease in the number of homicides in Bibile and Medagama areas in the Moneragala District, Attorney-at-Law Thakshila Sooriyaarchchi opined.
There were three murders in the Bibile, Medagama area. There was only one homicide reported this year, hence, there isn't an increase in the number of homicides. But there is a high prevalence of rape of underage girls in the area.
"Certainly there is an increase in rape cases," she said.
She noted that the instances of rape/incest, such as father raping daughter and brother raping sister, are reported. "Usually, suspects in these cases are close relatives," she said.
The main reasons she attributed for this was where the mother left the children for overseas employment or, eloped with another man.
She also pointed out that there is an increase in instances of child abuse also by close relatives, usually by uncles and grand fathers.
However, there was a high crime rate prevailing in Wellawaya area in the Moneragala District, as the area is notorious for ganja cultivation, but was not certain of an increase in homicides.
She added that there is an increase in violence against women and children, and maintenance and divorce cases.
Absence of good governance leads to crimes
According to the Galle Police, there hasn't been a significant increase in homicides and rape cases to date this year, when compared with the corresponding period last year, Attorney-at-Law Sunil Jayaratne told the Sunday Times. "That does not mean they have decreased," he cautioned.
"When one reads the daily news reports, not a single day passes without a murder being reported," he observed.
He said that during the war, there had been a large number of murders, which the people expected to decrease along with other crimes. "Instead, it maintained its levels," he said.
The breakdown of democratic values, the absence of the rule of law, free and fair elections, independent Police and sound political institutions are indirectly responsible for the increase in crimes he added.
"People expected prosperity after the war, which did not happen, although the Central Bank says there is economic growth" he noted.
"But the ever-growing economic disparity cracks open society, with direct links to crimes," he said.
Violations of basic human rights, political interference of independent institutions such as the Attorney General's department and corruption at high levels also contribute indirectly to the increase in the crime rate, he observed.
"Although, there is no comparative increase in homicides, rapes, child abuse, abductions, extortions and other criminal activities, its prevalence at whatever level is an indicator of the health of the society which we live in," he said. |
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