Police have asked the public for help identifying and tracing a suspect wanted over the abduction and sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl at Galle Face Green, eight months after the incident was reported.
The offence took place on 23 January 2026 within the Fort Police Division, and investigations are continuing following a complaint lodged with Fort Police, the Daily Mirror reported. Police have released a photograph of the suspect as part of the appeal.
Anyone with information has been asked to contact the Officer-in-Charge of Fort Police Station on 071-8591560, or the station itself on 011-2432635.
An eight-month gap
The appeal comes eight months after the reported date of the offence, and the police statement does not explain what stage the investigation has reached in the interim or why the public appeal is being made now. Nor does it say whether the suspect has been formally identified and is evading arrest, or remains unidentified — the wording of the notice refers to tracing “the suspects appearing in the picture.”
Galle Face Green, the Colombo seafront promenade adjoining the Fort Police Division, is one of the city’s busiest public spaces.
Reported child abuse complaints
The appeal lands against a backdrop of rising reported child abuse complaints. The National Child Protection Authority recorded more than 5,000 complaints in the first half of 2026, and logged a further surge across June and July. The NCPA has separately reported that police staffing shortages are slowing the handling of child abuse cases.
No other verified newsroom had carried the appeal at the time of writing.
