NCPA spotlights underaged girl's ordeal

In a remote village at Aralaganwila-Madagaspita in Siripura, a girl below the marriageable age fell in love with 19-year-old Sandaruwan and eloped on January 2, this year in the hope of raising a family.

The teenage girl was distraught because her mother left her father to live with another man sometime ago. The boy's mother too was living with Rohitha, another man in the same village.

The couple spent some time at Matale and thereafter moved to Udugampola in Gampaha where they stayed at a home of a person known to his stepfather.

The boy's stepfather too accompanied them to Udugampola. It was at this home that the girl was allegedly raped by the boy, said National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) sources.

Decide to marry

On the advice of his stepfather and mother, the couple decided to marry on January 5. However, there was a legal snag as the girl was only 15 years and still a minor while the boy was an adult. They overcame the age barrier by submitting a false affidavit to the Registrar of Marriages at Naiwala, Minuwangoda. Following the marriage, the couple spent a few more days at the Udugampola home.

Thereafter, on the advice of the stepfather, the couple moved with him to a home at Makandura, Gonawila in the Pannala area. The couple spent over two months at this home and moved into a house at Naiwela to stay with the boy's uncle. The couple again moved into a home at Madawela in Matale accompanied by his stepfather.

After a few days he advised his son-in-law to find employment to support his wife. He told him sternly that he could no longer support them financially. The boy did not return for a couple of days.

In the meantime, the girl fell sick and the stepfather had sex with her on two occasions. A few weeks later the girl fell ill and the stepfather resorted to witchcraft to cure her illness, but to no avail. He then accompanied the girl to Andiambalama where he rented a room. They lived in the secret hide- out. The girl's mother who made frantic search for her lodged a complaint at the Aralaganwila police station.

Return to Aralaganwila

Subsequently she learnt that her daughter was living with a man in Andiambalama. When she went to Andiambalama with her family members she found her daughter living with the stepfather.

After much persuasion the girl agreed to return to Aralaganwila with her husband.

The couple visited the Aralaganwila police station accompanied by the girl's mother and were severely warned. The girl went with her mother to their home at Medagampitiya, Siripura in Aralaganwila. The boy too went to his stepfather's home.

After a few months, the girl went to Kandy on July 10 and befriended a woman and stayed at her home in Matale. The following day around 7.30 she left home and walked to Palapathwela, a hamlet in Matale. She boarded a trishaw taxi and instructed the driver to drop her at Madawela.

The trishaw driver whisked her away to a home at Nalandawatte where he kept her overnight.

He threatened to kill her if she shouted and had sex with her forcibly. On July 12, the trishaw driver introduced her to his friend, Ruwan who worked in a quarry.

The trishaw driver asked Ruwan to find her a boarding place and employment. It was love at first sight, Ruwan took a great fancy towards her. He found a boarding house for her at Nalandawatte.

As time went by the love between them blossomed, Ruwan informed his mother about his girl and sought permission to marry her.

Ruwan also told his mother that he would wed her as soon as she turned an adult.

He escorted the girl to his home at Naula on September 3, 2010 and lived as husband and wife for several months. Ruwan, however, did not fail to remit money to the girl's mother.

Meanwhile, National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) sleuths probing into the mysterious disappearance of the girl traced her at Naula. The sleuths recorded details of her sexual encounters with men as a minor from January 2, 2010.

Following extensive investigations, NCPA sleuths arrested Rohitha, the stepfather who allegedly raped her. He was produced before the Kandy Magistrate and remanded till October 28.

The trishaw driver who also raped her was arrested and produced in Court. He was remanded till October 28 until inquiries were completed. The girl victim was handed over to a State approved Probation Centre at Haragama on a Court order. Sleuths will also question and take into custody the boy who first eloped with the girl.

Not registered

The NCPA said the marriage was not duly registered by the Registrar of Marriages at Naiwala. According to the couple and other witnesses they claimed that Rs. 4,000 was given to the Registrar of Marriages.

"There is no document available to prove that the marriage had been duly registered. We have recorded the statements of the couple and other witnesses who were present on the occasion," an NCPA source told the Sunday Observer.

Further investigations are conducted on the direction of Chairperson of NCPA, Anoma Dissanayake, Chief Inspector Wijesena and Police Sergeant Sarath.