Sexual harassment epidemic -- factory boss molests girls

By Gayan Kumara Weerasingha

The daily reports issued to the media by police headquarters reveal a high incidence of sexual harassment, rape, and unnatural sexual behaviour in the country. A single day does not pass without a rape case or an incident of sexual harassment being reported.
The father raping his own daughter, mother’s paramour raping the daughter, the teacher raping the student or a principal raping a school girl are such cases most frequently heard of.
Last week police apprehended a father who had raped his seven-year-old disabled daughter, killed and buried her. A few days after the murder, he had unearthed the body and burnt it. The incident was reported from Uswewa, Anamaduwa and according to the police, the suspect had been drunk when he committed the crime.
In the same week, reports from police exposed a principal who had brought his students to his quarters where he had anesthetized and raped them. This had taken place in the Nayabedda Tamil School, Bandarawela police division. A girl from grade 10 of the school had lodged a complaint with the police. As police discovered, the principal had abused several other students in the same manner, one of whom police identified to be a girl from grade 11. The 51 year old principal is now in police custody. Investigations continue.
Sexually abused
Meanwhile, a different type of sexual abuse was reported from Mount Lavinia police station recently. Sixteen girls had lodged complaints against the accused - the production manager of the factory they worked in.
Top officials have sexually abused female employees working for them, and this continues unabated. Seldom do employees dare to lodge complaints against the abusers for they need to protect their jobs.
The factory concerned is a BOI approved Swiss company producing transformers for mobile phones and is in Ratmalana, Mount Lavinia police division. It was established some five years ago. The accused is a Phillipino who joined the company three years ago. According to the complainants they had been subjected to the accused’s sexual harassment for over an year.
“He squeezed our breasts, felt our thighs, embraced us and kissed our faces”. These are some of the complaints against the boss. According to the girls all this happened when they were working at the factory. The abused had complained to the HR manageress and the assistant production manager, both Sri Lankans, with no results. The girls who were between 19-21 years in age, were from areas such as Embilipitiya, Moneragala, Buththala, Ratnapura and they had endured all harassment by the production manager for an year without complaining as they feared losing their jobs.
On 12 February, the girls spent time at the canteen discussing what action they should take against the administration for not considering their complaints. The majority of the girls working at the factory had fallen victim to the man but only 16 of them chose to complain to the police.
The investigations on the instructions of CI Mahesh Perera, OIC Mount Lavinia police station, were carried out by SI Pathmasiri Kulathunga, OIC complaints division and IP Chandralatha, OIC Women and Child Bureau and the Phillipino was arrested. Police is now working to file a case against him under the amended act of the penal code, ensuring that the case will be a lesson to all.