Seventeen schoolboys have been apprehended on charges of having allegedly sexually abused and gang-raped a Grade 11 schoolgirl in Thanamalvila over the course of the last one year, it was reported.
According to Ada Derana, a woman has also been arrested alongside the schoolboys in connection to the incident.
The mother of the schoolgirl has also accused a doctor at the Hambantota Hospital of having caused fear in the child, resulting in her attempting suicide.
Preliminary Police investigations have revealed that the victim had been romantically involved with a boy from her school. The boy is reported to have deceived her and taken her to a friend’s house, where he had allegedly sexually abused her for the first time.
The Police said that a group of schoolboys who were at the house had thereafter forcefully made her consume alcohol and then sexually abused her, while they had also videoed the incident.
The schoolboys had threatened the victim with the video and had gang-raped her on seven occasions during the course of last year (2023). The Police said that 17 schoolboys have been found to be connected to the sexual abuse of the victim.
Investigations had revealed that the victim had been raped on multiple occasions and recorded the act on video. The most recent incident of sexual abuse had occurred at Kirindhi Oya last week, where seven schoolboys had sexually molested the girl and recorded the incident.
The principal of the school in question had also found out about this incident and had made inquiries from the victim and the boys involved.
However, the school authorities had decided to conceal the incident taking into consideration the school’s reputation. It had also been reported that the son of a prominent tuition master and a female teacher of the school had been involved in the abuse of the girl, prompting school authorities to conceal the matter.
However, the matter had come to light after the Thanamalvila Police launched an inquiry based on a tip-off and the victim had been questioned.
It was found that the schoolboys had first raped the girl, after forcefully making the victim consume alcohol. Thereafter on numerous occasions, schoolboys from the group had abused and gang-raped the girl at toilets and sports restrooms when they were attending sports matches at other schools. The girl had also been abused at the homes of other students.
After obtaining statements from the school principal who had concealed the incident, the Police arrested 17 schoolboys and a woman who had aided them. The suspects are expected to be produced before the Wellawaya Magistrate’s Court.
Meanwhile, the mother of the child has informed the Police that while being admitted for a medical examination at the Hambantota Hospital, a doctor at the hospital had caused fear in the child, making her attempt suicide.
The victim’s mother has filed a complaint with the Hambantota Police and the Police Children & Women Bureau in this regard. (Newswire)
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