Sajith calls for special police unit to probe delayed child abuse cases

A petition carrying 40,000 signatures calling for expedited justice in unresolved child abuse complaints was handed over in Parliament today (09) to Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and Members of Parliament of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) by Thush Wickramanayake and her team. On this occasion, SJB MPs including Chamindrani Kiriella and Rohini Kavirathna, along with several other parliamentarians representing both the SJB and the Samagi Jana Sandhanaya, also signed the petition. The #40000 group had earlier met Premadasa at the Opposition Leader’s Office to brief him on the campaign. Meanwhile, addressing Parliament today (09) under Standing Order 27(2), Premadasa said Sri Lanka is bound by both domestic legal obligations and international commitments to safeguard children’s rights, but serious inefficiencies in the child protection system, unresolved complaints, and delayed judicial processes have placed children’s fundamental rights at grave risk. He noted that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has not been enacted as a single law, and the juvenile justice amendment bill has not been implemented, leaving major gaps in protection. Premadasa called for data on child abuse complaints received by the National Child Protection Authority between 2015 and June 2026, how many were investigated and referred for legal action, and how many remain unresolved. He also requested figures on cases currently before High Courts, indictments filed in the past five years, between five and ten years, and more than ten years ago, along with government measures to expedite proceedings. He pressed the government to establish a special police unit to investigate delayed child abuse complaints, as promised by the President during his London visit. Premadasa further emphasized the need to establish three key demands presented by Thush Wickramanayake; which are a special investigation unit, a Presidential task force for children, and strengthening the independence of the National Child Protection Authority. He further urged the government to fully implement the National Child Protection Act, appoint a committee to enforce the National Child Protection Policy 2025–2029, and specify dates for abolishing corporal punishment of children through legal reforms. Premadasa added that the current situation must be recognized as a national child protection crisis, calling for a coordinated national action plan under the President’s leadership. He appealed to all MPs, including government ministers, to sign the public petition seeking justice for child victims, noting that a majority of the Opposition has already endorsed it. (Newswire)