The female warden of a children’s home in the Mailapitiya area of Kandy and her husband have been arrested over the alleged torture of a 16-year-old boy living at the institution.
Thalathuoya Police made the arrests, Ada Derana reported. The boy was allegedly subjected to severe physical abuse, including the application of chilli powder to his genital area.
He was first admitted to Marassana Hospital and later transferred to the Kandy National Hospital for further treatment.
Both suspects were produced before the Kandy Magistrate’s Court and remanded until 7 September. Thalathuoya Police are continuing their investigation.
Context
Ada Derana did not report who made the initial complaint, how long the alleged abuse continued, how many children the home accommodates, or whether it is a registered institution under the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. It did not say whether the National Child Protection Authority has been notified, or what has happened to the other residents.
Neither the warden nor her husband was named, and no charges were specified beyond the allegation of torture.
The case comes against a background of rising reported child abuse in Sri Lanka. The NCPA recorded more than 1,000 complaints a month in June and July, up from a range of 600 to 800, though that increase was driven mainly by abandonment rather than abuse in institutional care. The Women and Child Affairs Ministry has been assigning five child welfare officers to every Divisional Secretariat to strengthen local child protection work.
Single source
No other verified newsroom had carried this story at the time of writing. Ada Derana’s report was not matched by NewsFirst, the Daily Mirror or Hiru News, whose latest listings were checked directly, and a web search returned no current coverage of the incident.
