November 23, 2012 16:07 PM
COLOMBO,
Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Sri Lanka is planning to introduce death penalty to child
abusers and rapists, an official said on Friday.
The
minister in charge of the Child Development and Women's affairs has proposed to
the parliament to impose death sentence or life imprisonment to offenders who
are convicted of child abuse and raping women, China's Xinhua news agency
quoted a ministry official as saying.
Minister Tissa Karalliyadde has told the parliament that severe punishment should be imposed on the two groups of criminals as the rapes of children and women are dangerously high.
Early this year, a draft proposal recommending maximum punishment for rapists of women and children was sent to the Ministry of Justice.
Minister Tissa Karalliyadde has told the parliament that severe punishment should be imposed on the two groups of criminals as the rapes of children and women are dangerously high.
Early this year, a draft proposal recommending maximum punishment for rapists of women and children was sent to the Ministry of Justice.
The
state records indicated that in 2011, 1,450 female rape cases were reported
while child rape accounted for 1,169.
However,
the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), an institution specially
established to curb child abuses indicated an alarming increase with at least
20,000 cases of child abuses reported in the first six months of 2012.
Under
Sri Lankan laws, those under 16 years are minors and sex with a minor is
considered rape, with or without consent. Authorities are examining proposals
to enforce the death penalty and make it a non-bailable offence, instead of
present punishment maximum jail term of 10 years.
Since the President does not endorse it, Sri Lanka has not implemented death penalty though recognizes it in principle. All convicted to death have been commuted to life in prison and the last execution was in 1973.
Since the President does not endorse it, Sri Lanka has not implemented death penalty though recognizes it in principle. All convicted to death have been commuted to life in prison and the last execution was in 1973.
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BERNAMA
