NCPA probes marriages of underaged girls

by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

The National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) launched an investigation into complaints where girls below the age of 18 have wed by tendering false documents to the Registrar of Marriages, NCPA sources told the Sunday Observer .

"We have received 20 such complaints from the Uva province and a few from the Western province. A police team have been despatched to the Uva province to investigate into the complaints and to take necessary action against offenders. Most teenagers have contracted marriage by submitting sworn affidavits," sources said.

Under the current law a girl below the age of 16 cannot contract marriage and can be prosecuted under the provisions of the penal code. The exception to the rule is marriages contracted under the Muslim law. Three such cases reported from the Gampaha area are also being investigated. In one case a girl has conceived and in the other case twin sisters have contracted marriage with a 17 and a 18 year-old boys. NCPA have received several such complaints after the 1929 hot line was launched, NCPA sources said.