The Colombo High Court Judge, R.S.S. Sapuwida, sentenced a 68-year-old man to 60 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually abusing his brother’s preschool daughter over more than two months.
In addition to the prison sentence, the judge imposed a fine of Rs. 30,000 and ordered the accused to pay Rs. 1 million in compensation to the victim.
The judge condemned the crime as inhuman and cruel, stating, “This is not merely an offense against a child but an act that shocks the conscience of humanity.”
Evidence showed that the young child, too small to fully understand the abuse, once told her mother, “Amma, don’t let that ‘holman bappa’ come to our house again,” a statement confirmed by witness testimony.
The prosecution revealed that the accused entered the child’s home and also lured her to his residence when no one else was present to commit the abuse.
He then threatened the child not to reveal the incidents, warning that if she did, the abuse would continue.
Due to this intimidation, the child suffered repeated abuse over time.
After reviewing all the evidence, the judge concluded that the prosecution had proven the case beyond reasonable doubt.
