Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament today (11) that investigating authorities have identified the main suspect involved in the alleged rape of a female doctor at the doctors’ quarters of Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital as an army deserter.
Responding to a question raised by Opposition and SJB leader Sajith Premadasa, the minister said that authorities have uncovered many details pertaining to this tragic incident. Five police teams have been deployed to track down and arrest the suspect.
“We have information about the whereabouts of the suspect, and it is the belief of police that the suspect could be taken in soon,” the minister said.
Opposition Leader Premadasa raised concerns in Parliament, condemning the attack and questioning the safety of female doctors in public hospitals. He urged the government to take immediate action and proposed stricter laws to punish perpetrators of such crimes.
Premadasa said the doctor had faced the situation while she was going to her on-call duty room.
“An outsider is said to have threatened the doctor using a knife. He is then said to have allegedly raped her inside her duty room. Sri Lanka has not heard of such incidents inside a hospital in recent times,” he said.
Premadasa said it is a serious issue for a doctor to be attacked while on duty at a prominent state hospital, stating that it raises questions about the safety of female doctors at hospitals.
Condemning the incident, the Opposition Leader said even female officers engaged in public service are being inconvenienced and it was a serious problem for the safety of the people.
Urging the government to take strict action regarding this incident, MP Premadasa said the opposition was ready to support the enactment of the necessary legislation to impose severe punishment on those who commit such barbaric acts.
The incident, which occurred on Monday night (10), sparked outrage, with doctors at the hospital launching a strike demanding swift justice.
Police said that the victim, a 32-year-old Tamil female doctor, had returned to her quarters at the government-provided dormitory for medical officers after completing her duties on Monday evening.
Police said that between 6.30 pm and 7.00 pm, the assailant had allegedly entered the premises, threatened her with a knife, and sexually assaulted her. He gaged the mouth of the victim using her underwear and tied her to a bed and raped her, according to the victim’s statement to the police.
Doctors at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital were on strike, demanding the immediate arrest of the suspect.
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