17 January 2023 07:20 am
A 23-year-old woman has filed a Fundamental Rights (FR) petition against the Sri Lanka Police in the Supreme Court alleging discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In the petition, the woman, a Lesbian, cites several incidents of violations of her fundamental rights by the Welisara Mahabage Police, on the basis of her sexual orientation. Other respondents to the case include Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, the IGP and the Attorney General. The petitioner is being represented by Attorneys Thishya Weragoda, Pulasthi Rupasinha and Stefania Perera.
The woman highlights her weeks of alleged forced confinement at home and abuse by her parents after she revealed her sexual orientation to them.
She claimed when a complaint was filed with the Welisara Mahabage Police against her forced confinement and ongoing abuse, the Police had conducted an inquiry into her sexual orientation instead and confiscated her phone and laptop to "find evidence of her homosexuality".
The Mahabage Police later forced the petitioner to meet with a psychiatrist and attempted to send her to a Judicial Medical Officer for a physical examination.
The petitioner highlights Police attempts to subject her to forced physical examination because she was a lesbian.
The petitioner has asked for several reliefs from the Supreme Court, including that her fundamental rights, including the Right to Equality, Freedom of Thought and Conscience, Freedom from Cruel and Degrading Treatment and Freedom of Lawful Occupation, have all been denied by the State.
The petitioner is also pleading with the Supreme Court for an order for Sri Lanka Police to issue directions to other police officers not to arrest or detain individuals or subject them to forced medical evaluations purely because of their sexual orientation. (Easwaran Rutnam)