Sexual abuse rapidly escalates in Jaffna

by admin
Mar 9, 2012
Girls as young as 7 years old have been sexually abused in Jaffna, as cases of sexual violence against women and children continues to rise according to health officials.

Describing an “alarming rise”, in sexual abuses cases in the Jaffna peninsula the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of Jaffna Teaching hospital Dr Sivaruban said that there were 32 incidents of child abuse and sexual abuse in the last two months alone, with at least 9 of classed as “serious and cruel sexual abuses”.

Dr Sivaruban told BBC Sinhala,
"There were 102 cases of sexual abuse reported in Jaffna in 2010 and it has increased to 182 in 2011."
“Girls as young as 7-8 years have been being sexually abused in Jaffna and abuse of girls before they reach puberty is very dangerous."
"Recently doctors have conducted one and half hour surgery to save the life of a 12-year old girl who was sexually abused in Delft island." 
"Sexual abuse and violence against women in on the increase but cannot see any deterrent mechanism to prevent children and women being abused this way.”
He also commented that there may be many other cases of sexual violence that went undetected, as they may not have been reported to the authorities.

See our earlier posts:

Sexual violence as a weapon of war destroys 'fabric of society' (21 Feb 2012)

State of denial (08 Jan 2012)

ICG - militarised North-East leading to women's insecurity (20 Dec 2011)

Haitian lawyers condemn impunity for Sri Lankan soldiers (11 Sep 2011)

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