The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) said the principal of a school in Galle has refused to allow the victim to resume her education in the school.
“The Principal has stated that the girl denied entry because she is now a disgrace and a bad example to the other students,†a statement issued by the watchdog said.
Nadin Ishan Chandika, a resident in Ahangama, is accused of raping the 15-year old girl on 29 December 2006, according to the AHRC.
Nadin and his friend, Nuwan “recorded her semi-clothed body on their mobile phones. When the girl refused to cooperate, they put a knife to her chin and threatened her,†the statement added.
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A video-recording of the rape was rumoured to be circulating in the village.
After the incident was reported to the police and court proceedings began, Principal of Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya had refused the girl to return to the school.
The victim, who is due to sit for the GCE O/L exams in December this year, is yet to be allowed to continue her studies despite repeated requests by her parents, according to the Rights watchdog.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/06/070612_girl_raped.shtml
55 Comments
Tasha
Well while this is deemed statutory rape by law because the girl was under 16, it was fully consensual. There is no evidence of the girl ever having been threatened or coerced.
Tina EG
The principal of this school should be sacked. How can a person dealing primarily with children adopt such a silly sttitude. If at all the victim should get all the support she needs. Ostracising her like this will one cause her more mental anguish and pain. The education authority should sack the principal.
Tasha
What pain and anguish? I’ve seen the video and she’s utterly enjoying herself. The rest of the children should not be exposed to this little slut.
Tina EG
Mind me asking Tasha, do you work for the school or some kind of group that dealt with this case? For me the fundemental thing here is the girl is denied her right to education what ever her inclinations to sex are.
Tasha
Well Ms Gunawardhana, I work for a newspaper and I’m well versed in the particulars of this case that you may not be aware of. The parent union threatened to have the school shut down if this girl is re-admitted. The principal’s house would have been set alight and the girl’s family would also be in danger of retaliation by the villagers. I think it would be best for everyone concerned if she goes off to a different school. She will not be accepted by the fellow students or their parents.
Tina EG
Tasha – I read the report in the Asian Human Rights Commission and basedmy information on that. If what you say is correct then the AHRC needs to be exposed as they have grossly distorted the facts of the case and any one reading this like I did would have a terrible impression of the school and its attitude to a victim of rape. By the way which paper do you work for? Do I know you as you seem to know my surname!!!
This is what I read http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2431/
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the denial of the right to education to a 15-year-old rape victim in Ahangama, Galle District, Galle Division, Southern Range, Sri Lanka. From 15 May 2007, the school principal has refused to allow the victim to resume schooling following the rape incident on 29 December 2006. The Principal has stated that Iresha is denied entry because she is now a disgrace and a bad example to the other students, due to the extreme social stigma which surrounds rape victims in Sri Lanka.
CASE DETAILS:
Iresha Sandamali Ariyaratne is a 15-year-old student of Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya in Ahangama, Galle District, Southern Range, Sri Lanka. On 29 December 2006, at around 9:30am, two men approached her on a blue three-wheeler, one of whom she recognised and was known to live behind the Ahangama railway station, named Nadin Ishan Chandika.
Nadin and his friend Nuwan forced her onto the vehicle and took her to a secluded guest house (‘Thammannawa’). Nadin performed rape on Iresha despite her pleas of resistance. Later, Nuwan came into the room and said that it was his turn. Iresha continued to resist and she fought Nuwan in retaliation.
The two men harassed and humiliated Iresha further. They recorded her semi-clothed body on their mobile phones. When Iresha refused to cooperate, they put a knife to her chin and threatened her.
Eventually, the men took her back on the three-wheeler and dropped her off at Weliwatte Road.
Soon, the incident was known throughout her neighbourhood. A video-recording of Iresha’s rape was rumoured to be circulating.
On 3 May 2007, Iresha’s father decided to go to the police. As per procedure, Iresha and her father accompanied the Police Officer-in-Charge (OIC) to the guest house which was the scene of the rape. The OIC observed in the report that Iresha was raped nine times by Nadin. The OIC was unsympathetic and unprofessional as he asked if it had been Iresha’s ninth time with one man.
According to the usual procedures, Iresha was admitted to hospital and examined by the Judicial Medical Officer, the psychologist, and underwent various other tests. She was also to be examined by the hospital’s venereal diseases clinic.
Subsequently, the two suspects surrendered themselves to the police and were granted bail. The case is now before the court.
However, tragically due to the rape incident, Iresha has been denied her right to education by the Principal of her school Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya. On 15 May 2007, Iresha stated that the Principal had refused Iresha to return to the school, telling Iresha that she was a disgrace and a bad example to the other students due to the incident.
On 17 May 2007, the rape case was called into the Magistrates court in Galle. On that day, the Probation Office spoke with the Principal by phone, and the Principal asked for Iresha to come to the school to see her the next day. On 18 May 2007, Iresha went with her father to see the Principal. The Principal sent a message through the School Watcher for them to come the next Wednesday. On 23 May 2007, Iresha again together with her father arrived at the school. The Principal then asked them to come back after 12pm. Accordingly, on that day after 12pm, Iresha and her father returned to meet with the Principal.
The Principal subsequently stated to them that she had not been informed in writing by any party to reinstate Iresha back into the school, and that she would not do so. Iresha reminded her that the Probation office spoke to her on the phone. The Principal then told her that she would not give any merit to an oral notice by telephone.
Iresha and her father reported the events of this meeting to the Probation Office. The Probation Office then gave a letter to be submitted to the school Principal. The next day, on 24 May 2007, Iresha’s father delivered the letter to the Principal. However, she still refused to allow Iresha to return to school. Iresha’s father once again went to the Probation Office and informed them of this outcome.
To date, Iresha has not been able to go back to school. She is due to sit for her Ordinary Level examination in December 2007. Iresha has said that due to this incident, she has missed many classes and it will be extremely difficult for her to catch up on the syllabus.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
The social stigma surrounding victims of rape in Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia is unfair and counteractive to the effective prosecution of the perpetrators of rape. Instead of targeting the offender who performs the crime, this kind of social and legal attitude places the blame on the victim. The AHRC has documented a similar case of a 14-year-old girl in Galagedara, Sri Lanka (UA-150-2005).
The actions of the police in Iresha’s case demonstrated the insensitive and blasé attitude of those involved in the prosecution process to find and persecute appropriately the guilty parties. Instead, the Police Officer derides and dismisses the suffering of the victim.
Rape victims who report the crime must go through arduous physical and psychological examination, and are not offered counseling or support.
The culture in Sri Lanka does not allow rape to be recognised as a serious crime committed against an innocent victim, and as a result, rape victims are rarely able to find redress. It is true that in the Sri Lankan Penal Code amended in 1995, Section 363 criminalizes rape, and Section 364 specifies the terms of imprisonment and an order of compensation against convicted rapists. However, according to the statistics reported by the OMCT in Violence against Women in Sri Lanka 2002, out of 229 incidents of rape committed against girls below the age of 17 in 1998, only 12 reports of sentences had been recorded, 6 indictments were pending before the High Courts, 6 were before the District Courts, and the Magistrates Courts were inquiring into a further 152 complaints. Although sentences that were actually administered conformed with the Penal Code, these statistics show that there are still serious problems and delays in the prosecution process in rape cases.
It is within this kind of cultural system that Iresha has been denied the right to education by her school principal. The stigma against victims of rape should be reversed, and they should not under any circumstances be subjected this kind of social discrimination which treads upon their fundamental rights.
The Sri Lankan government should preserve Iresha’s right to education, as Sri Lanka has ratified the Convention of the Rights of the Child on 21 July 1991. Article 28 provides: “States Parties [should] recognize the right of the child to education and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity”.
The right to education has also been incorporated into their domestic law in the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Article 27(2) (h) states an objective of the State is “the complete eradication of illiteracy and the assurance to all persons of the right to universal and equal access to education at all levels.”
Other than the legal basis for Iresha’s right to education in Sri Lanka, the State is also responsible to the moral obligation to fulfill her right. The stigma and unfair treatment of rape victims must be put to a stop. As a responsible educator, Iresha’s principal has to adhere to a moral code of ethics to protect and promote the physical and psychological well-being of her students. Her discriminatory and cruelly insensitive attitude is a gross violation of her duties.
Additionally, Article 27(5) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka provides that: “The State shall strengthen national unity by promoting co-operation and mutual confidence among all sections of the People of Sri Lanka, including the racial, religious, linguistic and other groups, and shall, take effective steps in the fields of teaching, education and information in order to eliminate discrimination and prejudice.” The Principal of Anula Devi Balika Vidyalaya, in the field of teaching and education, has an obligation under the Constitution to oppose and diminish discrimination of all kinds among the people of Sri Lanka. Her own explicit act of discrimination against Iresha is a violation of this obligation.
Rajitha
The girl concerned is under 18. So as far as the law is concerned, it doe not matter whether it is consensual or forced.
I respect her right to attend her own school, but practically it would have been better for all parties concerned (including the girl herself) if she is admitted to a different school or provided consultancy/educational support at her place. When one is subjected to a case like this, with the social stigma exists in our village environment, it would be extremely difficult for somebody to recover in the same environment.
This is also another opportunity to discuss about the absence of personal counseling system within our school system. If a student has a issue who she can be turned into? Who will assist him to come out of the troubled situation? Are we going to ignore those issues forever?
Ramal
I was surprised to hear Tasha’s comments. Hope you have seen movie Lolita or read the book. Any girl of that age will enjoy sex. But it is seducing. Seducing an underage girl is very easy. Can someone deprive her of her education for the reason that she smiled while being seduced?????
Tasha
The young man alleged to be the rapist is her boyfriend. There was no seduction or rape – sex was initiated by her on some occasions. She was simply a slut and her whole family has a bad reputation in the village. The law, as Charles Dickens said, is an ass.
sanju
tasha babes. you need medication. fast.
Tina
if she initited sex she is deemed a slut but what if the man initiated it is he a STUD????
Anon
Hi Tasha
You simply need to get laid. Probably you wish it was you
Sas
Wow, I thought such narrow minded people were only in villages, but now it seems that even people educated enough to use internet and comment on blogs are pretty narrow minded too!
Whether she enjoyed the incident or not is irrelavant. The fact remains that she’s underaged, do you think a girl of 15-16 years of age can understand what impact an incident like that can have on the rest of her life?? That’s exactly why there’s a category of minors or underaged in the legal system and it recognises that using an underaged child for any sort of inappropriate behaviour is unacceptable.
She has already been victimised, a victim of this cruel and narrow society, what we have to do is save her at least now! not ban her from her rights and waste her life.
Yes Tasha, go ahead open your eyes and look around, there are people who were abused and used as children, but because they were given the help they needed some of them went on to become famous personalities who changed the world for the better.
Tasha
Good. So go to a different school and change the world. Don’t come back to our school.
Jack Point
“I’ve seen the video and she’s utterly enjoying herself. ” you mean somebody filmed it on a mobile phone?
sanju
ado sasha take an powder men.
dsome
either way this girl got f’d. shame. especially in sri lanka, supposedly 80% buddhist no? tasha u need serious help – medically.
Tasha
The law is pretty stupid if it sends a young man to jail for having consensual sex with his girlfriend, just because she’s a couple of months below the age of consent. She’s just trying to play the victim card to save face and the family’s reputation and all that.
Parents and teachers are unanimous in their decision not to accept the girl back. If I need help, so do most of them. It would have been a different situation if she was actually raped and wasn’t a willing participant in a pornographic video. I don’t think it’s unfair to expel a student for being a porn actress.
poojitha
If she was not admitted to school,she’ll be a slut forever.If some one can give her a chance she may change herself……even Lord Buddha gave permission for prostitutes to be monks……why cant she be a student again…if this video thing did not emerge she would be still in the school,
Tasha
Buddhist girls’ schools are not for giving second chances for whores and porn stars.
indi
Do you not have mothers? Rape victims are not sluts or whores. This is an innocent girl – like your mother, sister or daughter. In a Buddhist nation she deserves compassion and under the Sri Lankan constitution she has a right to education.
Sri lankan girl from USA
I can’t believe some comments posted here. How discriminating you are Tasha. What do you think she should do: commit suicide?, because she was raped? Aren’t you a girl yourself or are you pretending to be a girl but you are the actual criminal in this case. You seem to be knowing everything and seen the video. And you claim to be a reporter yet you say ‘our school’.
Anyway, child molestation, rape, abuse,etc are not the faults of the victims. That is exactly what the criminals would want the victims to think. Rajitha is right. She should attend to a different school and/or move away from that area. She may need years of therapy to overcome this tragedy. If those criminals were in USA, Death or prison for life would be the punishments. That is how grave this criminal act is. Wake up sri lankans!! Protect the girls, speak up for them. What if it was you, your little daughter, or sister or mother that was raped, video taped or not? Would you abandon her in that society of wolves. Do you have any sympathy, a dose of love and kindness left in those souls? don’t let beasts in human form get away from this kind of unjust.
Think what she must be going through every awaken moment of her life. Think what that father must be going thru every second of the day. Feel the pain that her mother is feeling knowing her own little girl was abducted and raped. Think. Feel. Do something!!
Tasha
Girl from USA,
There was no rape or tragedy or crime. She willingly had sex with her boyfriend and consented to act in a pornographic video. The video (available in many Sri Lankan porn sites now) clearly shows that she was enjoying the whole thing and was an enthusiastic participant. The school expelled her, not because she was “raped” (she wasn’t), but because she acted in porn film that was widely distributed in the village.
No one would be thrown in jail in USA or any other civilised country for having consensual sex with their 15 year old girlfriend. Statutory rape only applies if the man is considerably older, which in this case he wasn’t.
Sri Lankan boy from UK
Hey girl, what are you on. Where does it say the “little” girl was “abducted and raped”? Perhaps that was your own experience ha ha ha!
loose lips sink ships
Tasha,
Just a simple message. You are putting your school into alot of trouble. I won’t spell it out in public. Go and speak to your principal. She will explain.
Just remember people all over the world are reading this.
To others out there, explore avenues through which this girl can be given maximum moral support. She is already getting assistance, but I’m sure every extra bit will be more than welcome. I have already contacted a few people and offered my help.
Get the picture Tasha?
comment
this incident took place in december 2006. then why did her dad wait til may 2007 to go to police?
kavi
What is most educating is to realize and to understand different perspectives of people in relation to a situation of this nature. “ Tasha “ is not uncommon or an alien in our society. Society is all of us and it is not that difficult to understand her thinking of her “school of thoughts “by the language she uses. At some point some one has said that she thinks the narrow minded people are only in the villages and some others say Buddhism do give a second chance. May be she must have been thinking of chinchimanavikawa . I do not think it has anything to do with a second chance in consensual sex as Tasha says but it is the way we make decisions for other people’s lives and the contribution we make in labeling others defining a future on our standards. If the school of thoughts which Tasha promotes is to punish this girl and not to allow her in to school again and to send a message out to say what would be the result of bad behavior, then it is very important to understand how far this message would go and what change would it make in the society. The incident discussed here has taken place in a region where many women and girls face this type of silent disasters behind closed doors. If some one films some of these scenes Tasha might say this is al consensual sex – yet girl , in these regions there are mothers , sisters , wives who face different forms of abuses not because they pray for it – but to save their lives . Walk down the railway track along Kalupe , Aural , Dodanduwa, Dveinigoda , Rathgama ….. And ask how may of rthem have experienced sexual abuse in the previous night ……. Ask them whether they have asked for it …. Also do not forget to ask whether they have enjoyed or at the same whether they have had a chance to refuse …….Finally just ask yourself why they don’t refuse and whether they will ever be.
Also lets not forget to sensitize the society on such issues what our roles should be (than just calling names at other people)
This whole discussion brings out another fact and that is the responsibility and the understanding of press and the media people in making comments which are not only for themselves but to make a change in the society
JustMal
Reminds me of that Kurosawa film.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashomon
Tasha
Your name is Tina Edward Gunawardhana and you live at 39 Farrier Road in Northolt. You are a Sinhala chauvinist extremist. Your houses in Sri Lanka are in Colombo 5 and Nugegoda.
Tina
My Dear Tasha
I am so glad that you seemed to have moved on from bashing rape victims to that of chief registrar of the land registry. However you are wide off the mark when it comes to my residences. Colombo 5 – I wish I owned property there. You have said you worked for a newspaper if it is as a jounalist I think you need to hone your investigative skills as you seem to speculating on the location of my residences and getting it so wrong!!! As for being a sinhala chauvanist… since when did opposing terrorism come under the banner of chauvanist extreme.
Tasha if you thought you could intimidate me by posting details of my residence for all to see. you have failed spectacularly as it is freely available on the internet. Any fool who googles me will know where I live. I do not live under a cover of annonymity. I do put my money where my mouth is Tasha dear.
Sri lankan girl from USA
Tina,
I actually googled to see who you are after I saw Tasha’s comment. Bravo!! Tina for all the great work you have done to represent Sri Lanka, as well as to condemn terrorist tigers. And I also applaude you for all the charity work you seem to be participating in. Our country needs more women like.
Chamel (stand alone)
I have read everyone’s comments and i must say that i agree with Tasha. You have to draw the line between a SLUT and a VICTIM. Iresha was NOBODY’S victim. She purposefully had sex with two males and knew fully well that she was been filmed. Why the hell is everyone cornering Tasha ? Save your sympathies for real victims. Seems to me that, Iresha just wanted to be famous and she richly deserves what she got.
Rohan
Two full grown adults have had sex with a minor, recorded the act and distributed it to others???? How sick is this? I am glad this didn’t happen to your daughter, sister or mother, if it did, you will be asking for capital punishment. Furthermore, the victim is deprived of her right to education, because she was raped?? I say, prosecute two basted for rape, kidnap, invasion of privacy, distribution of indecent material, etc, etc, etc. Then sack the principal of ADBV and sentence her to serve in prison assisting rape offenders. This women should not be a principal of any school.
Rohan
I must ask if Offenders are known to Tasha. She saw the video and she determined that the girl was at fault. WOW!!!Remember having sex with a minor is a crime, (otherwise if you dad is a politician in SL) and these felons should be punished to prevent other innocent children from having to face a situation like this. And if this poor 15 year girl was rich, think about what police and politicians might be doing now.
Chaminda
I can’t believe that Sri Lanka a nation that has elected a women president would still have such low morals as to not let a woman that was raped back into their school system. Do they not get the meaning of rape? she had nothing to do with this atrocity.
Ron - USA
I have visited Sri Lanka eight times as I am very fond of the country and its people. How in the world the victim of a violent rape can be treated so unjustly both by law enforcement and a school system is beyond comprehension. How about a little compassion people! You know – the kind of compassion you’re so famous for.
Fishy Story
According the information given by TinaEG as from the AHRC Site,
29 December 2006 – Date of Crime
3 May 2007 – Date of Reporting the “Crime”
It is funny that they take over 5 Months to “Report” the crime, and most of the evidence/scene of the crime maybe destroyed by that time. That is not to say that the girl in question should be barred from School, it is just that her version of the story is hard to substantiate. After all it looks like the father decided to report this after the circulation of the video.
whether it is consensual or not is probably irrelevant since she is a minor, and therefore the aspect of whether she “enjoys” or not.
However maybe the principal and the villagers probably feel that the girl in question was more willing than forced to it(Although they do not know of the Law, maybe they have better information on her behavior in general), and they do not want their children to be exposed to such persons. (Although I am not trying to draw parallels, a similar thoughts arise when children with AIDS are tried to be admitted to schools (Other parents object, but the reality is the Child has a right for education)
Rohan
Whether this girl willingly participated in a sexual act(s) or not is irrelevant, since the accused had sex with a minor child. It doesn’t matter if the accused was girl’s boyfriend, pimp, adult movie producer, manager; he knowingly had sex with a MINOR and recorded the shameful act for the purpose of distributing it. This is rape and nothing but..
It must not have been very easy for her parents to report this ugly crime to the authorities, knowing how it could impact the girl’s future and their social standards. I hear many rape cases go without ever being reported to the authorities every where in the world. In the USA (see http://www.rainn.org/statistics/index.html?gclid=CMjVy_SNnY0CFRCoIwodCHdk2Q) 44% of rape victims are under the age of 18 and only about 10% of the cases get reported. In the rest of the world, Sri Lanka has the 30th highest rape rate in the world and this is only based on what is reported.
‘Fishy Story‘ says, “principal and the villagers probably feel that the girl in question was more willing than forced to it and they do not want their children to be exposed to such personsâ€. If you take that excuse, allow villages and the principle to stone this girl to death. As someone else mentioned, this girl is now being raped by the education department and the principle stands out showing the world how ignorant he/she is.
Punish the criminals. Allow this girl to live and enjoy her life. you.
Rajiv
After reading all comments, I felt like making a few remarks. I may be right or wrong, but this is just my humble opinion. Please do not in any way assume that I am degrading or looking down on any of your opinions. This is just mine.
(a) Each country has a law. law stands above all else. Let us assume that this girl was an adult , of consenting age. She had sex with two other adults and filmed it. Any human beeing of consenting age has the right to experience sexual freedom how ever they please. Therefore, hypothetically if the girl was an adult, she is just a human beeing who excercised her desires, and should be in no way denied the right of education. This incident did NOT take place in school, so disciplinary action should not be initiated by the school. The principal of the school has no authority to do that
(b) looking at the actual scenario, where the girl in question is infact a minor, albeit by a couple of months, the law is clear on this too. Even if a person is a minor BY A SINGLE DAY, a minor is not capable of giving consent to sexual intercourse, and therefore if two adult men had sex with her, they are rapists in the eyes of the law and should be treated accordingly. If these criminals are to be given any respite due to the fact that the girl is ALMOST an adult, where is the line to be drawn ? Law is a standardised system, and needs clear demarkations. And the age of consent for sex is one such demarkation.
(c)Last but not least, sexual deprivation is common place in under developed countries with suppressive cultures. People who are brave enough to experience their desires openly, are branded sluts and whores because the society is scared of change. They are scared that the whole social framework will collapse if such acts are to be socially accepted. But one cannot deny human rights in order to safeguard un sound and un productive cultural misbeliefs. We live in a globalised world. Whether we like it or not, the world is moving toward liberation from cultural barriers and this cannot be stopped. I would personally sacrifice my own life to this cause if need be. Therefore let us not get trapped in some age old cultural web. Let’s be free from all suppressions and move towards a truly civilised and a truly liberalised sri lanka, where individuals are free to express and experience their sexual desires as they wish, law and order is safe guarded to the letter, and those who try to drag us back to stone age are the ones that are considered by the majority of society as sluts, whores or bastards.
Any comments tasha ?
Ajay - USA
Let’s just say this girl willingly had sex.
If so, is there a law in Sri Lanka to prevent her from attending school or deprive her of education?
In my eyes, the crime was committed by an adult who knowingly had sex with a minor or forced a minor to have sex with him. No additional evidence should be necessary to convict the felon, since the act was recorded by him and available to the law enforcement.
Tasha, did you know school teaches and hotel workers have the highest HIV rate in Sri Lanka? I wonder if school teaches get HIV by standing in front of the blackboard. I think you are barking at the wrong tree.
Minnesotan
I see a pattern to the arrogance of ADBV principle. She may receive a promotion to the National Child Protection Authority or become a deputy minister for Education one day.
See similar act by another trusted school official at: http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2494/
On 27 October 2006, 14-year-old Sajini Vasana Perera was accused by her class teacher of having a love affair with a boy and ordered to accept her guilt and apologize. But because Sajini denied the allegation and refused to yield to the teacher’s demands, the class teacher verbally insulted Sajini and slapped her repeatedly on the face in front of her classmates. This impressionable young girl was so traumatized by the event that she was overcome by her distress and running towards a window, she jumped from the 3rd floor of the school building. Consequently she suffered a serious fracture of her leg and had to be hospitalized. (For further details please see UA-036-2007)
JustMal
Wouldn’t it be easier for everyone if she just goes to a different school. I’m sure she doesn’t want to go back to that particular school and face all her friends and teachers. NGOs are trying to make a martyr out of her against her will. Her reputation is ruined in the village – why would she want to go back. As someone said, let’s have some compassion for everyone, the girl, the boyfriend, teachers, other students and their parents.
30,000 sex offenders on MySpace
I don’t know to which blog I should send this news article. Hope it will make some sense here.
‘30,000 sex offenders on MySpace’ http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/65CF1CA7-339E-4E15-9D83-487C95CC2F01.htm
The social networking website carries
about 180 million profiles
Popular social networking website MySpace.com has nearly 30,000 registered sex offenders with profiles on its site, US officials say.
The number is more than four times what was cited by the site two months ago.
After initially withholding data, citing federal privacy laws, MySpace began complying in May after states filed formal requests.
At the time, the News Corp-owned company said it had already removed about 7,000 profiles of sex offenders, out of about 180 million profiles on its site.
But Roy Cooper, North Carolina’s attorney-general said on Tuesday that the figure had risen past 29,000.
Cooper is one of several state attorneys-general who demanded that MySpace provide data on how many registered sex offenders were using the site along with information about where they lived.
Another attorney-general, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, said: “I’m absolutely astonished and appalled because the number has grown so exponentially over so short of time with no explanation.”
MySpace declined to comment on the figure, focusing instead on its efforts to clean up its profile rolls.
“We’re pleased that we’ve successfully identified and removed registered sex offenders from our site and hope that other social networking sites follow our lead,” Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace’s chief security officer, said.
Parental permission
Cooper is pushing for a state law that would require children to receive parental permission before creating social networking profiles, and require the websites to verify the parents’ identity and age.
He is also working with law enforcement officials in other states in pressing MySpace to use age and identity verification methods voluntarily.
Based on media reports, Cooper’s office found more than 100 criminal incidents this year of adults using MySpace to prey or attempt to prey on children.
Most recently, a Virginia man pleaded guilty Monday to kidnapping and soliciting a 14-year old girl he met on MySpace.
Critics say the proposed restrictions are unconstitutional because they prohibit free speech or impede interstate commerce.
The bill has already passed the North Carolina senate and now goes to a House subcommittee for more consideration.
nadee
just to post a comment… im not a singhalese but grew up there more like a local and its true that soceity looks down on girls like that irrespective or whether consent was given or not. People are SCARED of this topic. Do not want to be involved in it and rather help in covering up than standing up….
a law exists…. but is it really for the simple people?
certain ppl claiming to be professionals seem to make grave grammer and identity mistakes here… and a note to the same party, if u are a normal school girl, from a ‘Village’ i wonder how corrupt one is to seek for and download the said video clip and identify whether or not the female party was having a good time. A simple sri lankan girl with values, irrespective of religion or location, i doubt would be so open on this subject and burst it out to the whole wide web… One only disgraces one’s own kind!
I’m not being prudent, but I distaste people speaking beside themselves and out of line. Many are not aware how easy it is to ruin a life for good, especially here.
Judge oneself before you turn to the other….
‘Iresha’ irrespective of her past time activities, has a human right for education. This can be universally agreed.
TinaEG if you still visit this forum, leave me a hint where i can really find you. Please.
A sri lankan in heart.
Chand
At first, I have to condemn disgrase remarks by a another human being/a reporter called Tasha. Shame on you Tasha.I have visited Iresha last week in Sri lanka. I met and spoke to Iresha’s parent. Basically, she is house arrested by the people like Tasha. Currently she is atttending school with the condition that father must accompany her to and from school. She missed almost three months of the school year and I am helping her now to learn missed lessons that enable her to finish O/L exams in December with good marks. After we will find a good private school so she can do her higher studies. Enough is enough suffering of this poor family. We know very well, as I am helping another girl in Kandy who had a similar situation. All Buddhist schools in Kandy rejected her,due to her past and because she is from an orphanage.So I placed her in a private leading school. In final term she placed 2nd out of 44 students and is doing her G.C.E A/level right now. Her goal is to be a lawyer. I will do everything to achive her goal and also do everything to help Iresha.
Kamilia
My father is Chand and this summer we went to visit Iresha. I have talked with this girl and if you think that she wanted to be raped that digusts me! This girl is so sweet and such a joy to be around. Thanks to people like Tasha this girl is going through more then is needed, as if being raped isn’t enough. This girl is terrified to go anywhere, what 16 year-old girl should be, this shouldn’t be like this. The two men who did this should be convicted and charged. What bugs me the most is that stupid people like Tasha believe that it was her fault and she enjoyed and also those two men have money and are simply getting away with it and bribing the police, it makes me sick. If it wasn’t for Human rights commities and others this whole fact would disapear for court.This poor family has been through hell and it’s not right, she already has been tortured enough. For Tasha to say things like that makes me sick this girl is my friend and she is 10 times stronger, smarter, and a better person than Tasha and people like her will ever be. When she is older she will show everyone in her community how amazing she is and then everyone will feel sorry for her. But what is soo amazing is that this girl is gonna do it all on her own she doesn’t need anyones pity or help. This girl is my inspiration and i will do everything in my power to make sure she is later on what ever she wants to be and go where ever she wants to go and do anything she wants to do. Tasha ur stupid comments actually made me laugh because wow you really have no idea what your talking about at all you dont know this girl I think it’s about time you Shut Your Mouth!
Gunaratne
Kamila & Chand
I agree with you 100%. Only trash that I found at this site was Tasha. If there is anything that I can do to help this victim, please drop a note to gunaratr@yahoo.com
Rohan
It is wonderful to know some people still posses and driven by values. Call them, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu or whatever else, I am happy to read that Chand is committed to help this innocent victim. I have seen comments from others pretending to be the safe keepers of values (Bloody hypocrites), trashy women running their moths here to protect their own, but it takes a true courage’s human to step up to the plate when it counts the most. Chand, if donor money is needed for her education, please give me a hint to connect with you.
“I used to think the god is true, now I think the Truth is god†Mahatma Gandi
nadee
“Be the change you wish to see in the world!”
Mahatma Gandhi
“never underestimate the power of a few people to change the world.. in fact it is all that ever has!”
Three cheers for chand and his family…
Power of Internet
Thanks to the power of Internet, at least this girl is getting some relief. I thought this thread would die down a natural death. Thanks Kamila & Chand for giving some relief to this girl. I too have experience in saving a girl who was about to be kidnapped by a drug addict. Her school refused to take her to school and I had to find her a new school in another district. Girl was barely 14 when this happened. It was the lady teachers of the former school who resisted her coming back to school. Thanks for this forum for following up this incident.
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි?
එදා බැරි වුනු අධ්යාපන ප්රතිසංස්කරණ අද කරන්න පුළුවන් ඇයි? : 2023-2033 ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව පිළිබඳ විශ්ලේෂණයක් by Sujata Gamage 2023 ජූලි මාසයේදී කැබිනට් මණ්ඩලය විසින් ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුවක් සැකසීම සඳහා ජනාධිපතිවරයාගේ සභාපතිත්වයෙන් පත් කෙරුණු කැබිනට් අනු කමිටුව විසින් අද වන විට එම ජාතික අධ්යාපන ප්රතිපත්ති රාමුව 2023-2033 (හෝ National Education Policy Framework 2023-2033) අධ්යාපනය පිළිබඳ ආංශික අධීක්ෂණ කමිටුවේ හා දෙවනුව සමස්ත පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ විමර්ශනය සඳහා ඉදිරිපත් කොට ඇත.
Proposals to make Sri Lanka’s National Examinations more relevant
[Extracted from the report “A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination” Prepared by Committee of Experts for Reforming the Department of Examination appointed by the Minister for Education dated December 2017.] The Department of Examination is perhaps the government department with the most impact on society in Sri Lanka.
Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination of Sri Lanka, 2017
Download Plan : Sinhala English A Strategic Plan for the Department of Examination for implementation in 2018-2019 was prepared by Committee of Experts to review examinations and evaluation system and roles and functions of the Department of Examinations to make recommendations for improving the quality and standards of testing and evaluation systems in Sri Lanka appointed by the Secretary for Education by letter dated April 28, 2017. Members of the Committee Ex-officio: Mr.
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