(by Franklin R. Satyapalan)

The Government has proposed the establishment of Special High Courts to accelerate the process of hearing several thousands of child abuse cases pending for over a decade in the country’s High Courts without trial, Justice Ministry sources said yesterday.


This decision was taken following the report of a survey carried out on cases pending before the High Courts, when it was submitted to the Joint High level Task Force headed by Minister of Justice and Law Reforms Milinda Moragoda.


The Minister is expected to raise the need for establishing Special High Courts to hear child abuse cases when the Joint High Level Committee comprising of Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Secretary to the Ministry of Justice and Law Reforms Suhada K. Gamlath meet for their monthly meetings.


The majority of the child abuse cases relate to rape, incest, torture and physical abuse committed mostly by suspects who are parents, kith and kin, guardians or family friends, the sources said.


President Mahinda Rajapaksa had expressed great concern and advised the relevant authorities that action should be taken to tackle abuses against children. The survey carried out had revealed that of the 14,966 cases that were pending in the High Courts almost 26.94% related to child abuse with some cases pending since the year 1999 without trial.


The report had revealed that the highest number of child abuse cases were from rural areas with Embilipitiya topping the list with 51.2%, Polonnaruwa second in line with 45% and Ratnapura 40%. It has been revealed that the urban area of Gampaha, where majority of the population are educated folks had 32% child abuse cases whilst had Matara 27%, Puttalam 26%, Kalutara and Kegalle 24%.