The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) stated that social and cultural attitudes are discouraging guardians of child abuse victims from seeking legal justice, noting that awareness programmes are being launched to change society’s mindset towards victims and legal redress.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (10), NCPA Chairperson and former High Court Judge Preethi Inoka Ranasinghe said the number of child abuse cases coming to light remains very low, including cases involving community leaders such as clergy and teachers.

She attributed the situation to a sympathetic rather than proactive societal attitude towards victims. “Our society has not been shaped in a way where people look at these cases open-mindedly,” she said.

Her comments come in the wake of a high-profile case in which a 15-year-old girl was allegedly sexually abused by the Chief Prelate of the Atamasthana in Anuradhapura, Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thera.

He was remanded until tomorrow (12) following his arrest on charges of sexually abusing the teenager. The remand order followed repeated complaints raised by the NCPA over delays in arresting Thera, who is the main suspect in the case.

Meanwhile, a junior monk from the Navatkuli Vihara was also arrested last week on charges of abusing a young girl and has been remanded under court orders.

Several organisations, including the Free Women’s Movement, have accused the Government of failing to address child abuse cases with sufficient urgency, pointing out that the suspect in the Anuradhapura case had also been arrested long after the alleged crime.