The internets were alive this morning with the news that Sri Lanka was about to drop its age of consent from 16 to 13 (thanks Enivhsay):
government spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva, who is also the minister of health, told a weekly Cabinet briefing on Friday that the government was planning to lower the age of consent. He gave no reason, but said the proposal was approved after much debate and a long review. [link]
Ah, yes. Debate and review. Ve have heard the words, but the meaning is escaping us still. However, in a startling turnaround of events:
The government reversed its decision after a flurry of telephone calls from incensed citizens following the announcement, The Sunday Island newspaper said.
There is no proposal, whatsoever, to reduce that to 13 or to any other age, it quoted Dhara Wijayatillake, a secretary in the Ministry of Justice, as saying Saturday. [link]
Que rapido!! When did the Sri Lankan government start pay attention to “incensed citizens”? Did I miss something important during my time here in Amrika?
The Minister [Justice Minister John Senevirathne] said that the government is concerned of the increased number of young men detained in remand prisons as a result of sexual encounters with their girlfriends.
He said: Many girls are requesting to release them saying the encounter happened with their consent. [link]
Holy Mammajamma! I’ve missed so much!! Here I was, happily warbling away my speculative fantasies that Sri Lanka may be one of the more progressive South Asian countries…but this much? When I was a wee kella (er, ladki. Indocentric, what?) sex did not exist, no one had ever heard of it, and even if those damn suddhas (goras) couldn’t keep in in their pants, that was still no reason why we Sri lankans couldn’t quietly continue asexually budding. Encounter, bencounter! Sekshuval is a vestern invention, no?
So vat the bluddy hell is going on?
Women activists fear that amendment to the penal code 363 to bring down the age of consent of a girl to have a sexual relationship from 16 years to 13 will help many rapists whose pending cases will be dismissed.
They urged the Government to desist from bringing this law with retrospective effect as it could lead to dismissal of many pending rape cases which include certain politicians.
They were citing an example that UNP Western Provincial Councillor Duminda Silva’s rape case could be dismissed under this amendment if the amendment is with retrospective effect.
When asked whether pending rape cases will be dismissed with the new amendment, the Minister said that the Attorney General will have to decide that not him. [link]
Anney Machang! (Arey Machaa!) It becomming very crystal clear now, isn’t it?
Well, yes. But there is also this:
Tens of thousands of children are left behind to be cared for by extended families by Sri Lankan mothers who seek employment abroad, often resulting in inadequate supervision and guidance in their upbringing.
The government says 64.5 percent of the 1.3 million Sri Lankans employed abroad are women. [link]
And this:
This section in the Penal Code was amended in 1995 increasing the minimum age of consent from 12 years to 16 years.[link]
So back in 1995, the age of consent was TWELVE. Of course, many other countries have similar age limits. The link will take you to a table of worldwide ages of consent.
But given Sri Lanka’s notorious reputation for a child sex industry:
The first scientific study on the scale of child sexual abuse in Sri Lanka has concluded that 100 young people are sexually exploited or abused every day on the island…boys were mostly aged between eight and 15 …most foreigh paedophiles came from western Europe but pointed out the involvement of local agents and pimps….
In addition, the report looked at sexual abuse within the family or community and interviewed 100 victims, nearly all of them girls.
They found that many of them had one parent, usually the mother who was working abroad, and the victims were easy prey because they were unsupervised.
Wouldn’t it be a far better thing to legislate laws that will help women find work in the country? Despite the tsunami, the economy is “booming,” according to the IMF. Wouldn’t lowering the age of consent just make life a whole lot easier for paedophiles? Does tourist money mean that much?
But, of course, trust the goverment to place the cart before the horse, and pull a string for a political crony, all in one fell swoop.
It’s energizing to see that public outcry actually accomplished something. Maybe we’ll be less shy about screaming next time.
