The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus has decided to closely examine the ongoing legal proceedings and the protection framework relating to the girl involved in the reported sexual abuse incident from the Anuradhapura area. This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Minister Saroja Savithri Paulraj in Parliament.
A special discussion is scheduled for 5 June 2026, bringing together key state institutions, including the Sri Lanka Police, the Attorney General’s Department, the National Child Protection Authority and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. The discussion will focus both on the progress of the case and on broader reforms to strengthen laws and institutional capacity to prevent violence against women and children.
To ensure sustained oversight and accountability, the Caucus has established a special subcommittee composed predominantly of legal professionals. Notably, the subcommittee features a significant number of Members of Parliament who are attorneys-at-law, reflecting a deliberate emphasis on legal expertise and procedural rigour in monitoring the case and guiding reform efforts.
The subcommittee will be co-led by Deputy Co-Chairs of the Caucus, Samanmali Gunasinghe and Attorney-at-Law Chamindrani Kiriella.
Its membership includes a strong legal cohort:
- Attorney-at-Law Sagarika Athauda
- Attorney-at-Law Nilanthi Kottahachchi
- Attorney-at-Law Nilusha Lakmali Gamage
- Attorney-at-Law Thushari Jayasinghe
- Attorney-at-Law Anushka Thilakarathna
- Attorney-at-Law Hasara Liyanage
- Attorney-at-Law Hiruni Wijesinghe
- Attorney-at-Law Lakmali Hemachandra
They are joined by Members of Parliament Hemali Weerasekara and Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, creating a multidisciplinary team while maintaining a clear legal focus.
The subcommittee is tasked with:
- Overseeing future legal proceedings in the Anuradhapura case
- Ensuring the protection of the victim’s rights throughout the judicial process
- Identifying and recommending institutional and legislative reforms to address systemic weaknesses in responding to violence against women and children
This structured, lawyer-heavy composition signals a strategic move by the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus to prioritise legal accountability, victim protection and evidence-based reform in handling both the current case and wider issues of gender-based violence.