Irregularities at orphanage come to light:
Nobody’s children
Several orphanages in the Anuradhapura district have come under the
scrutiny of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) following
complaints made by the public against the Awathiwedhi orphanage at
Anuradhapura. The allegations levelled against the institution is with
regard to malnutrition, harassment and cruelty meted out to innocent
under privileged girls languishing at the orphanage. Most girls found
there were underage girls, sources told the “Sunday Observer.”
Following investigations the (NCPA) questioned a matron and several
other officials responsible for administering the Avathiwedhi children’s
home.
The warden and the Sub warden were taken into custody by the NCPA for
cruelty and for displaying callous attitude and disregard of the well
being of children. The suspects were produced before the Anuradhapura
Magistrate who remanded them until investigations were completed.
Several allegations levelled against the Avanthiwedhi child’s
orphanage was investigated by the NCPA. They found glaring lapses at the
Children’s orphanage. They learnt the orphanage was administered by a
volunteer organisation in the area. The orphanage also came under the
purview of the Probation Department at Anuradhapura.
Plight
What shocked the NCPA sleuths was about the plight of malnourished
underage girls at the orphanage. The girls were clad in filthy rags and
gave the appearance that their clothes had not being laundered for
weeks. The girls looked traumatised and neglected as if they have not
bathed for days. When they were politely questioned by the NCPA sleuths,
the girls looked too scared to speak out anything against the orphanage
or against its guardians. The girls were between the ages of 4 - 19
years. They had become destitute due to unfortunate turn of events in
life beyond their control.
Some girls have been abandoned and left in the lurch by their parents
when they were infants while others have been tortured by their parents
for various reasons. In several instances their parents have separated
and the girls have been subject to cruel inhuman treatment by their
guardians. Some even have been sexually exploited and even burnt by
their kith and kin for minor lapses. There have also been instances
where children have been subject to incest while their mothers have gone
to the Middle East in search of greener pastures. There were 39 girls
including several under aged girls when NCPA officials visited the
Awanthiwedhi orphanage. Of this number 19 girls had been sent there on
the recommendation of the Probation Department through court orders for
their own protection and for their own well being, to continue education
and lead happy lives there after.
The reason to probe into affairs of the orphanage by the NCPA was due
to complaints that the girls were subject to sexual harassment by
officials who administered the orphanage.
There were also complaints that the girls were on the brink of
starvation. They had not been properly fed. NCPA had several issues to
investigate at the orphanage.
They learnt that the girls who attended the K. B. Ratnayake school at
Anuradhapura went to school in the morning starving.
The orphanage did not provide breakfast and the girls fell asleep at
school due to weakness. Meanwhile girls from other five orphanages in
Anuradhapura who attended the same school were provided with breakfast
by the respective orphanages. The sleuths visited the K. B. Ratnayake
School and met its Principle and discussed the plight of the children.
The principal directed them to a school teacher and instructed him to
show the children who came from the Avathiwedi orphanage. When NCPA
sleuths visited the classroom they found the girls below the age of 13
clad in filthy unwashed uniforms. They had come to school that day bare
footed and some had sores on their feet and hands.
Disoriented
The children looked thoroughly disoriented and neglected and uncared
for. When questioned the children replied that they haven’t had food for
breakfast and looked at each other puzzled.
Although the children were hesitant to speak to the sleuths at first
they overcame their inhibitions and spoke to them candidly about the
sordid conditions prevailing at the orphanage. The revelations shocked
the NCPA officials. They realised how difficult it was for children as
young as five, six, seven years to bear the pangs of hunger unlike
adults who can withstand such traumas.
The sleuths knew that the children were devoid of love, compassion
and care at the Orphanage.
They were deprived of breakfast and made to trudge all the way to
school barefooted. NCPA noted that the basic facilities at the
Awathiwedhi orphanage were far from satisfactory. The toilet were putrid
and so were the dormitories where children slept on dirty linen and torn
bug infested mattresses. NCPA officials said such conditions break down
the morale of children.
NCPA said the most intriguing fact was that children from other
orphanages attending the K.B. Ratnayake Vidyalaya had food parcels
delivered to them. But children from the Awathiwedhi orphanages hadn’t
anything to eat at all. They were left starving when other children ate
the food joyfully.
Later when sleuths visited the Awanthiwedhi orphanage around
11.30.a.m they found the other children at the orphanage also being
deprived of the breakfast. They even found the mid-day meal for the
children had not been cooked by that time. After recording statements of
the battered children and the officials, the sleuths came to know a girl
was unmercifully beaten up by the woman warden recently.
They investigated the matter and learnt the reason for the beating
was due to a personal matter. The girl in question had told other girls
about a clandestine love affair between a couple in the management. When
sleuths questioned regarding the assault they were told that it was over
a private matter.
Escorted
However the matter is being further investigated by the NCPA to
ascertain the truth. According to observations the orphanage was a hell
hole for children, NCPA said.
Meanwhile 19 girl inmates of the Awathiwedhi orphanage were escorted
by a female officer of the NCPA and produced before a doctor at a state
hospital nearby for treatment.
Another nine girl inmates were later produced before the JMO
Anuradhapura for examination and report.
The woman warden and the Sub woman warden were taken into custody and
was produced before the Anuradhapura Magistrate who remanded them until
investigations are completed.
The NCPA officials told court the children at the Awathiwedi
orphanage to be brought under the care of the Assistant Commissioner of
the Probation Department at Anuradhapura. Accordingly the court ordered
the board of management of the Awanthiwedi orphanage to be changed
forthwith. Subsequently the Assistant Commissioner of Probation and
Child Care took charge of the children at the orphanage and much relief
has been provided to the inmates of the orphanage.
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