On Rapiness
Demon scene from Mulkirigala, tho I think these demons are actually women.
Lately there’s been a spate of child killings in the news – a seven year old raped and killed in Kirulapone, a dead nine year old retarded boy found in a dirt pit in Kadawatha. There’s also been a horrific case of a 13 year old girl in Tangalle abducted and raped for days, including by local politicians and businessmen. What on earth is going on?
These are persistent problem that the war obscured for years. A 2009 survey by the Ministry Of Justice found that nearly 30% of pending court cases were for child abuse. A recent statement by the police said that nearly 70% of rape cases are for statutory rape – ie rape of children. And the problem isn’t unique to Sri Lanka. Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate show quoted a 2007 study in India saying that over 50% of children there had faced some sort of abuse.
While it seems obvious that this type of abuse is bad, in practice it isn’t quite so. Satyamev Jayate took up the issue and had parents and children in the studio. What emerged was that children were often afraid to talk, and that parents actually didn’t believe them. In many cases the social pressure acted to shield the abuser rather than protect the child. It was an uncle or trusted friend and no one wanted to disturb the social order. This pressure to save face and preserve the appearance of a coherent family can be very strong.
In the Tangalle case, a poor girl was abducted and repeatedly raped – and yet the police were reportedly slow to react until the National Child Protection Authority intervened. The reason was that prominent politicians and businessmen were involved and their interests counteracted those of the child.
In all of these cases the common factor is that the victim is weaker and that the delivery of justice would disturb the status quo. It’s important to remember this social pressure when trying to solve the problem instead of just saying that abuse is bad.
So, how can we turn social pressure to protect the innocent? The first and most major step is education. In Satyamev Jayate, Aamir Khan sat down a group of children, told them what was and what is not OK and told them to scream and tell their parents. Parents and adults, of course, need to be educated too. As do the police.
This attitude has to extend beyond rape and abuse to ‘casual’ harassment as well. Every Sri Lankan woman has been harassed or even masturbated at on the streets. Recently a group of young people organized by Sri Lanka Unites took to the buses of Colombo to apologize for this behavior and educate people about their rights and responsibilities as decent citizens. That’s a start. In the same way, women and children need to know that they can report and get support against more severe types of abuse, and people in authority need to be educated to listen.
In that way, all of this terrible news coverage is a starting point for a better society. We are now hearing about rape and abuse and recognizing that it is bad. Hopefully the media will also take the next step to educate people on what to do. That is how we begin to change the social norms that keep abuse and abusers in place and create a better society for us all.
originally published in The Nation
Posted on Wednesday, July 11th, 2012 in Sex, Sri Lanka, Violence.
Mohsin Hamid, author of How To Get Filthy Rich In Rising Asia, has a nice 
I’m happy to be featured in Echelon magazine’s 40 Under 40 feature, profiling young people who contribute to the economy in some way, mainly in business but also in terms of innovation and thought leadership. It’s an interesting article not just in that I’m in it (mainly for work on indi.ca and 
I won’t add too much commentary, but just read I guess. The youngest Rajapaksa, Rohitha (Chi Chi) has given an amazing interview to the 
In 2009 this strange character appeared on the Sri Lankan Internet scene, getting angry, flaming, trolling whatever. Then he started naming anonymous bloggers, posting comments as people’s kids, nasty stuff, for which I removed him from 
This was there before the war ended as well, except all the attention was focused on the war and issues like these were conveniently sidestepped not only by the government but by the media and society at large. Now that the war is over the focus has shifted to other issues. There has been no sudden “upsurge” in rapes or child abuse but we are finally getting to hear about them through the media. Perhaps the death penalty needs to be re-introduced, and by re-introduced I mean actually carrying out executions of those who have been found guilty of rape.
Over 700 children were raped/abused in the first six months of 2012. The child rape is so common they barely make the news. This a is terrifying development callously blamed on everyone but the Rajapaksa Government. Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka become a moral desert where the people are indifferent to the sufferings of the raped children.
Atleast the Royal Park Murder case guy got his sentence revoked. So there seems to be some justice. Although I’m not a fan of the death sentence.
I think there is a more fundamental cause to this ‘rapiness’ (I like that word) than the problems we see on the surface. Of course better education and better enforcement of law will have a good effect on this madness. But in Sri Lanka (and in India) we still value Victorian traditions and value them as our culture. I see the lack of sexual freedom as ‘a’ main cause to the problem. Sexual oppression has made people crazy and do some horrible things, just like the ones we are so often hearing now.
Clearly you have no idea because child abuse is rampant in liberal western countries despite so called “sexual freedom.” And when I say abuse I don’t just mean the sexual kind. This includes neglect, physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse which are all forms of child abuse. Child abuse – especially sexual abuse – is also a taboo subject in the west despite it being more “open.” Except they do have better mechanisms in place to report child abuse and a child services arm that removes them from abusive environments (even this has its flaws). If you want to talk about rape, have a look at the stats for the United States, the country of “freedom” having the biggest porn industry in the world.
Thanks for writing about this.
As part of education, perhaps we should include how we can cope with abuse?
It is almost a right of passage for us Sri Lankan girls, to endure this. And we have to kinda figure it all out on our own, from what exactly has happened, to how to integrate the experiences into our sense of self.
At those ages, we are often too young to know that there is such a thing as sex and that it’s a taboo. We are too young to know that by being on the receiving end of this treatment, from someone in whom we had complete faith, that we have upset the supposed tranquility of the social order.
When we pick up on the signals around us, that somehow things that cannot be spoken have happened, and it is now expected of us to go on as if nothing untoward has indeed happened (which includes continuing to treat with respect the older perpetrator), we learn to internalise, to dissociate, to self-punish – the standard coping mechanisms of those who have little or no power.
As much as we should work on prevention, and I’m being controversial here, how can we help us own the experience?
In the meantime, it is great that this topic is being brought up in public spaces. And kudos to all those such as you for talking about this.
Do you know what is worse, she has been “used” by both a Father and Son. They have recently given themselves up. Its just unbelievable to even think that a Father and a Son duo could be involved in raping a 13 year old girl!
Are we so demented. Gone so far in basic humanity?
Retarded Child, lol. Do you mean mentally handicapped?
There is an old proverb that fish is starting to rot from the head. Sri Lanka is rotting from the head too. Last Christmas, the British tourist was brutally killed; his Russian girlfriend was beaten to pulp and raped, while she was profusely bleeding from her head by Sri Lanka Government official and his cronies. Witness said that total 8 men raped the dying Russian tourist while she was unconscious and lying in pool of blood
This a strange coincidence but the child was raped in Tangalle by member of the Rajapaksa Government where Russian tourist was raped by the Chairman of the Tangalle Pradesheeya Sabha (together with a gang of associates) and murdered her male companion, a British tourist.
Last week another member of the Tangalle Pradesheeya Sabha (together with several of his associates) was arrested for allegedly abducting a 14 year old girl, holding her in an inn named ‘Namal Rest’ and gang-raping her. The accused, Anjana Liyanage, is not only a UPFA member of the Tangalle PS; according to the website ‘Gossip Lanka,’ he is believed to be the media secretary to Minister Mahinda Amaraweera. Again according to the website ‘Gossip Lanka’, efforts by the Women’s and Children’s section of the police to arrest the suspects did not succeed because they enjoyed political protection. It was after the people of Tangalle protested publicly that the suspects surrendered to the police.
Last Christmas, the British tourist was brutally killed; his Russian girlfriend was badly beaten and raped by member of the Ruling Party, the Chairman of the Tangalle Pradesheeya Sabha and his cronies.
Last week another member of the Tangalle Pradesheeya Sabha (together with several of his associates) abducted and gang-raped teenager.
The accused, Anjana Liyanage was not arrested by police as he has political protection from Rajapaksa Government.
And in this article another bunch of Child Rapists raped another child in Tangalle ???
The child rapists in Tangalle are seeing the impunity for Rajapksa Government Officials , follow the lead and gang-raped a children, knowing they can get away with it ?
Yes, the child rapists in Tangalle are seeing the impunity for Rajapksa Government Officials, follow the lead and gang-raped children with impunity.
The Tangalle child rapists rape children with gay abandon. They are convinced political ‘clout’ and money can be used to evade the deserved punishment. I think, they are right..
Sri lanka what has happened to you? Why our beautiful island is so lawless ?? Why our innocent children are raped and child rapists are not punished ?? These child rapists have not a trace of remorse in their demeanor and moved about with a casual air… Why?? Because they know they can buy their way out…
Rajapaksa Government is militarizing Sri Lanka. A military ethos which celebrates strength, glorifies violence and weakness is despised. Impunity for child rapists, murderers destroys compassion in society. Militarization destroy democracies because military has a hierarchical systems; military men must extend servile obedience to superiors. A ‘good’ soldier must be ready to kill and die, whenever ordered to do so. Discipline is his god and unquestioning obedience the required mode of worship.
Democracy, Decency has gone to dogs in this country !!!
I find it strange that only Indi.Ca and few other media outlets in Sri Lanka are brave enough to expose horrific child rape increase. Callous silence only encourages the child rapists. Hiding the child rapes, sweeping under the carpet and ignoring the desperate plight raped children will not bring relieve to these shunned by society, helpless child victims
Child Rapists should be castrated !!!!
If you do this… then… there will be lot of politicians without penis in Srilanka :)
Nandasri
OMG!
Hilarious comment!!
If castration for these cowards and child rapists avail then there will be many politicians without penises in Sri Lanka !! Ha.. Ha..
After castration they’d put tar and feather on them. Let the bastards walk from Colombo to Galle so that people can abuse these punks.
What a lot of bosh! I doubt if there will even be a proper trial, when the accused are ruling party politicians and the cops are not interested in messing with them. More likely that the victims will be put through a lot more pain before this is over.
Shammi well said!!
The family of the savagely raped child are live in fear, where as the child rapists are protected by Rajapaksa Government and roam free looking for more child victims to rape. 13-year-old school girl from Tangalle was raped by 22 men. The father of the victim W. Somasiri have been threatening by child rapists and afraid to go home.http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/07/15/family-of-rape-victims-live-in-fear/
Nandasri. Yes, if castration will be lawful.. not just many politicians will be without penises in Sri Lanka but some rich guys in Tangalle and Sri Lanka Army soldiers too. Sri Lanka Army soldier raped 6 year old child near her home in the Kotawehera area. This soldier had molested another girl in 2010 and there was also a pending case against him at another court. So, why this child rapist is still in the Army ??
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2012/07/15/soldier-remanded-for-molesting-a-child/. Or in another child rape case, a 15 year old girl on her way to school was “dragged…off the cycle she was peddling and raped” by a Sri Lanka soldier attached to the Welikanda camp (Ceylon Today – 9.7.2012)