• Claims that post report action by Police and the school did not follow established procedure

The Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) yesterday alleged that the Government was shielding both the teacher and the tuition class owner, who are accused of being involved in the tragic incident in Kotahena, where a schoolgirl took her own life after allegedly being sexually assaulted by the teacher and later harassed by the tuition class owner.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, CTU President Priyantha Fernando said that the medical officer who examined the schoolgirl in 2024 had informed the Police about the incident, which took place in September 2024. However, he alleged that the response from the Police was concerning, as they reportedly failed to give it proper attention and reported it to court as a ‘normal’ incident.

"According to standard procedure, when a schoolchild is subjected to abuse, it is the responsibility of the school's principal to initiate legal action. However, in this case, no such action was taken by the principal. Although the principal and other teachers were aware of the incident and the trauma the student experienced, the child was never referred for counselling. In addition, there is sufficient evidence that she was mentally harassed by the tuition class owner. All these factors must be investigated." he added.

Fernando alleged that there are clear signs that both the teacher and the tuition class owner are still being protected by the Government. “There are several government institutions that should have acted in a case like this. However, we have not seen them fulfilling their responsibilities from the beginning. We saw the Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, engaging with the Police and giving them instructions regarding this case. That in itself is unusual. Can the Police not act without directions from the Premier? Such intervention is unnecessary.” he opined.

During a meeting attended by the relevant officials last week, Premier Amarasuriya said that investigations into the incidents that took place both within the school premises and at a private tuition class should be conducted impartially, thoroughly, and without delay. She further noted that the Ministry of Education is carrying out an internal inquiry to assess whether the response at the time the incident was reported was handled effectively.