Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has learnt that a 16-year-old boy was publicly tortured at Dodangoda Junction by police officers after he met with an accident on 1 April 2017. Despite the boy being seriously wounded, he was severely tortured by the police officers, and then forced to walk to the police station. He was not given medical treatment until much later. Public outcry at the police’s shocking behavior led to the temporary suspension of the two officers, but no proper investigation or prosecution has been initiated.
Case Narrative:
According to the media communique issued by Chirantha Amarasinghe, secretary of the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA), a 16 year-old resident of Dodangoda Junction, Matugama Road, Dodangoda, Kalutara District, drove a motorbike on April 1 to buy several commodities from a nearby shop, at his parents’ request. On his way to the shop, he noticed two police officers were on duty; being underage, he did not have a valid driving license to drive a motorbike.
Noticing the boy, the police officers tried to stop the motorbike driven by the boy. But the boy did not notice the signal, and the angry police officers chased the young rider. When he noticed the two police officers, the boy was frightened and as a result, crashed with a three-wheeler on the road. The boy fell to the ground and was trapped beneath the fallen motorbike. He could not get up by himself and was injured on both his legs, resulting in a blood hemorrhage.
The two police officers approached the wounded and trapped boy, and started to assault him ruthlessly. A large number of people gathered around the accident site and wanted to help the accident victim, but feared police reprisal for doing so; the manner in which the police tortured the boy terrified them. Throughout the assault, the boy kept screaming and pleading with the officers not to beat him. Later, the officers ordered the wounded boy to walk with them to the police station. The boy was paraded on the road with hundreds of people watching. The boy was detained inside the police station for several hours, and only later was he taken to the Nagoda Teaching Hospital for treatment.
One onlooker recorded the brutal police beating, which was then heavily covered by the national media.
Secretary Chirantha Amarasinghe of the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA) condemned the actions of the two police officials involved in the incident. Speaking on the matter CMA Secretary Chirantha said that such heavy-handed tactics by the police should be stopped immediately, and he requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the other senior police officials to take stern action against officers who break the rules in this manner.
After the video clip went viral and following the continuous media reports and public demands for justice, the two responsible police officers, attached to the Dodangoda Police Station, were suspended from service: Sergeant Chandrajith Kapilasiri (59558) and Constable N Arunasiri (6108).
Subsequently, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kapila Premadasa, who is in charge of the Kalutara Police Division, told the media that he had immediately launched an investigation into the matter. He stated that, “We investigated the incident soon after we witnessed this video. Statements were recorded from the parties involved and a statement was also taken from the victim. Investigations revealed that the two officers had acted with excessive force and as a result we have suspended them from service with immediate effect”.
However, the victim’s family members and civil society activists are demanding the prosecution of the police perpetrators without any further delay under the Torture Act No. 22 of 1994.
Suggested Action:
Please send letters to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case. Request an immediate prosecution of the officers who tortured the boy. Finally, please appeal to the National Police Commissioner and the Inspector General of Police for a special investigation into the malpractice of police officers who abuse their powers.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
SRI LANKA: Dodangoda Police tortured 16-year-old victim of traffic accident
Name of Victims: Sixteen year old boy at Dodangoga, Matugama Road, Kalutara
Alleged perpetrators:
1) Sergeant Chandrajith Kapilasiri (59558) and
2) Constable N Arunasiri (6108) both attached to the Dodangoda Police Station
Date of incident: 1 April 2017
Place of incident: Dodangoda Police Division
According to the information I have received According to the media communique issued by Chirantha Amarasinghe, secretary of the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA), a 16 year-old resident of Dodangoda Junction, Matugama Road, Dodangoda, Kalutara District, drove a motorbike on April 1 to buy several commodities from a nearby shop, at his parents’ request. On his way to the shop, he noticed two police officers were on duty; being underage, he did not have a valid driving license to drive a motorbike.
Noticing the boy, the police officers tried to stop the motorbike driven by the boy. But the boy did not notice the signal, and the angry police officers chased the young rider. When he noticed the two police officers, the boy was frightened and as a result, crashed with a three-wheeler on the road. The boy fell to the ground and was trapped beneath the fallen motorbike. He could not get up by himself and was injured on both his legs, resulting in a blood hemorrhage.
The two police officers approached the wounded and trapped boy, and started to assault him ruthlessly. A large number of people gathered around the accident site and wanted to help the accident victim, but feared police reprisal for doing so; the manner in which the police tortured the boy terrified them. Throughout the assault, the boy kept screaming and pleading with the officers not to beat him. Later, the officers ordered the wounded boy to walk with them to the police station. The boy was paraded on the road with hundreds of people watching. The boy was detained inside the police station for several hours, and only later was he taken to the Nagoda Teaching Hospital for treatment.
One onlooker recorded the brutal police beating, which was then heavily covered by the national media.
Secretary Chirantha Amarasinghe of the Ceylon Motorcyclists’ Association (CMA) condemned the actions of the two police officials involved in the incident. Speaking on the matter CMA Secretary Chirantha said that such heavy-handed tactics by the police should be stopped immediately, and he requested the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the other senior police officials to take stern action against officers who break the rules in this manner.
After the video clip went viral (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEMgTUmebvk) and following the continuous media reports and public demands for justice, the two responsible police officers, attached to the Dodangoda Police Station, were suspended from service: Sergeant Chandrajith Kapilasiri (59558) and Constable N Arunasiri (6108).
Subsequently, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kapila Premadasa, who is in charge of the Kalutara Police Division, told the media that he had immediately launched an investigation into the matter. He stated that, “We investigated the incident soon after we witnessed this video. Statements were recorded from the parties involved and a statement was also taken from the victim. Investigations revealed that the two officers had acted with excessive force and as a result we have suspended them from service with immediate effect”.
However, the victim’s family members and civil society activists are demanding the prosecution of the police perpetrators without any further delay under the Torture Act No. 22 of 1994.
I request the intervention of your good offices. Ensure that the authorities listed below open an immediate investigation into the allegations of violations of fundamental rights of the victim by officers of the Sri Lankan Police Department. All officers involved should be subject to an internal investigation for breach of Police Departmental Orders.
Yours sincerely,
———————
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk
3. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
