Crime in custody
COLOMBO human rights agencies say that security force personnel gang raped and tortured two Tamil women at the police Special Investigation Unit (SIU) in Mannar on 19 March. Sivamany Veerakone, 24, and Vijikala Nandakumar, 22, were arrested at a lodge in Mannar town. They were taken to the SIU where they are alleged to have suffered degrading treatment and rape. Thereafter they were hung naked by their hands and legs and beaten. They were also forced to confess under torture that they were LTTE members and warned not to reveal their ordeal to anyone. The Sri Lankan Navy has denied that its personnel were involved in the rape of the women. After interviewing the women in late March, Bishop of Mannar Rayappu Joseph wrote to President Chandrika, urging her to take immediate action. The Hongkong-based Asian Human Rights Commission has expressed concern that many members of the security forces are allowed to go free after committing horrendous crimes. Amnesty International says the pace of investigations into several cases of alleged rape, including the case of Ida Karmalita, raped and murdered in Mannar District in July 1999, are proceeding very slowly. Other cases have collapsed because victims or witnesses were threatened or feared reprisals.In a fundamental rights application to the Supreme Court in March, a Tamil woman alleges that she suffered sexual abuse and severe torture for a week in June 2000 at the Negombo police station. She had been hung by the legs and repeatedly assaulted with batons. Pins were inserted into her nails and heels. Her head was covered with a plastic bag dipped in petrol and a banana inflorescence covered with chilli powder was repeatedly inserted into her vagina. She was forced to sign a confession under torture.
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