Open letter from Rosy Senanayake to the Government of Sri Lanka

Colombo, June 17 (Daily Mirror) - Former Colombo Mayor and former Member of Parliament Rosy Senanayake has issued an open letter calling for urgent action to address what she describes as a deepening child protection crisis in Sri Lanka, urging both domestic and international authorities to intervene.

The letter in its entirety is as follows;

To: Domestic and International Child Protection Authorities, the Government of Sri Lanka and the Public

"A nation incapable of ensuring even a modicum of safety for its children and vulnerable populations—irrespective of its developmental milestones in other spheres—is, in essence, a morally diminished and failing state. As a mother and a citizen of this country, I am compelled today to confront a tragic reality that causes me profound anguish. The innocent generation entrusted with the future of our nation is currently ensnared in grave peril. The atrocities we witness and hear of daily represent a severe indictment of our collective conscience. We, as an entire society, must bow our heads in deep shame. This shame is necessitated not only by the harrowing accounts of children subjected to brutal torture and exploited as domestic labor, but also by the deeply disturbing, recent allegations of severe child abuse involving figures of religious authority and the clergy—individuals traditionally held in the highest societal reverence.

Historically, our society embraced an ethos of "collective responsibility," wherein every child was fiercely protected as a child of the entire village or nation. Tragically, this paradigm has drastically eroded. Driven by mounting economic pressures, the disintegration of the familial unit, and the pernicious encroachment of unregulated technology, our children have been rendered unprecedentedly vulnerable. Historic and recent tragedies—from the case of Saman Kumara in the 1970s to Seya Sadewmi of Kotadeniyawa, and the recently murdered Fatima Ayesha—have triggered nationwide outrage and demands for justice. Yet, the profound tragedy we must collectively interrogate is this: why do thousands of parallel grievances simply fade into obscurity?

Despite the establishment of statutory bodies such as the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), the Women and Children's Bureau, and various Probation Services, a distressing normalization of systemic apathy has taken root. Unless injustices perpetrated against children from impoverished, marginalized families lacking socio-political leverage are sensationalized by the media, prompt investigations remain an illusion. Society increasingly reacts only to the zenith of a tragedy and the ensuing media spectacle. The moment public attention wanes, the justice mechanism reverts to institutional lethargy.

Sri Lanka is equipped with a robust legal framework for child protection, encompassing our Penal Code and aligning with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). However, the corresponding national policies remain largely dormant in practical application. Irrespective of the statutes enshrined in our laws, the delivery of justice has been severely crippled by bureaucratic inefficiencies and sluggish inter-agency coordination among the Police, Judicial Medical Officers (JMOs), the Judiciary, and the Attorney General's Department. A glaring and unacceptable indictment of this systemic failure is that a girl victimized at the age of twelve may well be in her mid-twenties by the time justice is served. During this expansive chasm between the commission of a crime and its penalization, perpetrators operate with impunity. It is imperative that our legal frameworks and operational mechanisms are urgently modernized to confront the sophisticated challenges of the digital era.

Therefore, with profound sorrow and resolute determination, I urge both domestic and international authorities to intervene immediately and halt this ongoing humanitarian crisis.

I urgently advocate for the following strategic interventions:

Grassroots Operationalization: The policies and strategic proposals drafted by the NCPA must transcend paper and be aggressively implemented at the community level.

Inter-Ministerial Accountability: All relevant ministries—notably Education, Labor, Tourism, and Mass Media—must execute their child protection mandates with absolute fidelity and strict enforcement.

Expedited Judicial Proceedings: I implore the judiciary and relevant authorities to fast-track the adjudication of the thousands of child abuse cases currently backlogged in the High Courts, ensuring that victimized children receive swift and uncompromised justice.

In a society that fails to amplify the voice of its children, our silence is tantamount to complicity, serving only to embolden the perpetrators. I earnestly appeal to the global community and every conscientious citizen: awaken now, before more innocent lives are irreparably shattered.