Articles : On Ceylon Today: The Cost of Ignored Abuse

On Ceylon Today: The Cost of Ignored Abuse

A few days ago, CCTV footage surfaced showing a 15-year-old  student from a leading school in Colombo, falling to her death. On 29 April 2025, She took her own life after enduring months of sexual and psychological abuse by her Grade 11 mathematics teacher. Despite her mother’s repeated complaints to the school administration, no action was taken, and the student was accused of lying.

The teacher was arrested but released within a day and returned to the school, where the abuse continued. In an attempt to protect her daughter, the student’s mother transferred her to another school, where she found brief relief. However, the trauma persisted, and the temporary peace ended in irreversible tragedy.

In response to this, public frustration grew, especially after other abuse cases saw quicker arrests, yet in this case, the teacher faced no proper consequences, only a transfer.

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A broken system

Milani Salpitikorala, Founder and Senior Legal Consultant at the Child Protection Force, said to us that, “Sri Lanka lacks formal victim advocacy, trained professionals, or coordinated child protection services. Children are dragged through a disconnected system and questioned repeatedly by multiple institutions, without regard for their mental health. We must stop hiding behind outdated structures. Stop performing care through reports and press conferences. Stop pretending that children are being protected when the system is actively retraumatising them.”

She called for an urgent shift towards a coordinated, trauma-informed approach, a standard already in place in countries like the UK and Singapore.

Nillasi Liyanage, Legal Adviser for Sri Lanka at Legal Action Worldwide, pointed out the alarming scale of the problem, “Children in Sri Lanka are legally protected under the Constitution and the Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 10 of 2023, which guarantees their right to safety, fair treatment, and redress, especially in a way that serves the best interest of the child. Institutions like the NCPA and the Police Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women are mandated to act. To truly protect children, these systems must be more responsive, better coordinated, and sensitive to the unique needs of child victims.”

Read the full article on Ceylon Today.