The mother of a girl who was abused by 22 youths in Thanamalwila has filed a complaint against the Judicial Medical Officer of Hambantota General Hospital for verbally abusing the victim during a medical examination. The girl, a school student in Thanamalwila, was directed for a medical examination by the Thanamalwila Police following a complaint.
The victim’s mother complained to the Hambantota Police Station and the Colombo National Child Protection Authority yesterday (11th).
According to the victim’s mother, the Judicial Medical Officer insulted the girl, leading to an emotional breakdown and attempted suicide by jumping off a hospital window. The mother reportedly informed the police that she had asked the Judicial Medical Officer to refrain from using abusive language, after which the Medical Examiner allegedly tried to assault her.
The girl tried to commit suicide – Mother claims
When questioned about the incident, the girl’s mother provided the following account:
“My child has been subjected to mental pressure and abuse by a group of students. Once the incident came to light, we filed a complaint with the Thanamalwila Police on August 10th. As a result, my child was admitted to Hambantota General Hospital for a medical examination.
“On the 11th, before the examination, a statement was recorded. As soon as my child began to explain what happened, the Judicial Medical Officer accused her of lying and claimed she was trying to get the boys who abused her arrested. According to the Medical Examiner, those boys were innocent.”
“My daughter was frightened by the Judicial Medical Officer’s behavior, so he asked me to take her outside and bring her back later. At that moment, my daughter started crying and asked me to take her away. I told her we would leave once this was over. At that point, she tried to jump from the window of the hospital’s upper floor, unable to bear the pain caused by the doctor’s words.”
“If I hadn’t caught her, she might have jumped out of the window. Meanwhile, he called us back into the room and began writing down her oral statement. When my daughter, who was still crying, explained the incident again, the Medical Examiner scolded her once more, saying, ‘Don’t shed those fake tears. Nothing happened here. You are lying.'”
“I asked the Judicial Medical Officer to stop blaming her and allow her to tell me what happened. At that point, he attempted to strike me but didn’t. He then said, ‘Wait, let me teach you two a lesson. No matter what you say today, this case will be dismissed in court. You will not be allowed to leave the hospital and go home. You will be sent to the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, where you will be kept in a facility. You have also accused a child who was selected for the Olympics. That kid’s parents are important people.'”
“In the end, my daughter and I felt helpless. We didn’t know what to do. The oral statement was ultimately recorded according to the Judicial Medical Officer’s preferences.”
“Later, I filed a complaint with the Colombo National Child Protection Authority and the Hambantota Police regarding the Medical Examiner’s cruel and indecent behavior. Sadly, an educated person like him doesn’t even know how to speak to the public. I wonder how many others have had to endure similar experiences.”
“We cannot accept the decision made by this Judicial Medical Officer. We believe appropriate action should be taken regarding the medical report and the Judicial Medical Officer of Hambantota General Hospital who caused my child mental distress,” she said.
Meanwhile, we contacted the Director of Hambantota General Hospital regarding this incident. The Director said that no such incident had been reported to her until now.
We also inquired with the Colombo National Child Protection Authority, and a spokesperson said that a complaint had been received regarding the incident and that an investigation was underway.
