The Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court has rejected a request made by a former army soldier, who is a suspect in a sexual assault case involving a female specialist doctor undergoing training at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, seeking permission to make another statement in Court.

The request was made during the hearing of the case before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Nalaka Sanjeewa Jayasuriya. Responding to the suspect’s request, the Sub Inspector of Police of the Child and Women’s Bureau of the Anuradhapura Police, A.C. Dayananda informed the Magistrate that the suspect was attempting to use the Court to make various false statements in a deliberate effort to defame and distress the victimised doctor. 

Police further stated that the suspect was intentionally trying to spread these false claims through the media to cause emotional harm to the doctor. Previously, the suspect made a false statement in open Court, claiming that the sexual act was not committed by force. Hence, Dayananda requested the Court not to allow such malicious and false statements, which waste the Court’s time and are made with ill-intent.

The Court also ordered the Police to send the smartphone belonging to the doctor – which was recovered by the Police after the suspect had allegedly hidden it after sexually assaulting her – to the Government forensic examiner and submit the related forensic report to the Court.

The suspect, who is currently in remand custody over the incident, has been further remanded until 29 July. Earlier, the Anuradhapura Police had been instructed to present the suspect for a DNA test and to submit the medical report to the Court. In a further report to the Court, the Police indicated that investigations into the crime are still ongoing. The suspect, residing in the Galnewa New Town, had previously been presented for an identification parade, during which the victimised doctor successfully identified him.