The Anuradhapura High Court has convicted a 70-year-old doctor of raping a 25-year-old mother of one, who had visited his medical centre to have an intrauterine device (IUD) removed.
The verdict was delivered on August 11 by Anuradhapura High Court Judge Dr. Nalin De Hewawasam, who sentenced the accused to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also ordered him to pay Rs. 1.5 million in compensation to the victim. Failure to pay the compensation will result in an additional three years of imprisonment.
In addition, the accused was fined Rs. 100,000 in cash, with a further one-year prison term imposed if he fails to pay the fine.
Judge Dr. Hewawasam stated that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, declaring the accused guilty of rape under Section 364(1) of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act No. 12 of 1995.
Defence Reaction
Following the verdict, Senior Counsel Kalinga Ravindra, representing the accused, expressed surprise, claiming his client, who had treated hundreds of thousands of patients over a 40-year career, was innocent of the offence.
Identity of the Convicted Doctor
The convicted doctor, identified as Wijekoon Wijeratne of Tissawewa, Anuradhapura, was arrested by Anuradhapura Police and later released on bail after being produced before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court. He had previously worked at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital and Ranawarawa Hospital.
Details of the Incident
The offence took place on or about January 20, 2020, when the victim, a 25-year-old mother of one, visited the doctor’s private medical centre in Tissawewa to have an IUD removed.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that the doctor told her the procedure would take a long time and asked her to wait while he attended to other patients. Once the other patients had left, he raped her under the guise of removing the contraceptive device.
Legal Proceedings
The Attorney General filed an indictment against the accused before the Anuradhapura High Court. When the indictment was read by State Counsel Lakmali Dissanayake, the doctor, through his attorney, pleaded not guilty.
Nine witnesses testified for the prosecution, including Dr. K.N.C. Senanayake, Specialist Judicial Medical Officer at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital; Police Inspector Yamuna Kanthi, former OIC of the Children and Women’s Bureau at Anuradhapura Police; Sub-Inspector Edirisinghe; and Female Police Sergeant Mallika.
The preliminary inquiry was held before the Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court. On April 21, 2025, the Attorney General’s indictment was referred to the High Court for trial.
State Counsel Gimhani Hirunika Perera and State Counsel Geethmi Ranatunga appeared for the prosecution, while Senior Counsel Kalinga Ravindra represented the defence.
Historic Ruling
This marks the first time in history that a court in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province has handed down such a severe prison sentence to a doctor convicted of a criminal offence.
Source: BBC Sinhala
