• Opposes Police inside schools to check students for drugs 

The State Ministry of Women and Child Affairs stated that 1,502 child rapes and 167 child pregnancies were reported across the island during the course of last year, but that with the ongoing operation ‘Yukthiya’ (Justice), some reduction in crimes against women and children was being observed.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, State Minister of Women and Child Affairs Geetha Kumarasinghe said that there had been a total of 1,502 cases of child rape in 2023, including 235 in the North Western Province, 230 in the Western Province, 216 in the Southern Province, 176 in the North Central Province, 136 in the Sabaragamuwa Province, 134 in the Central Province, 129 in the Eastern Province, 119 in the Northern Province, 114 in the Uva Province, and 10 and three reported to the Police Children and Women Bureau and the National Child Protection Authority, respectively. 

In addition, there have been 167 child pregnancies in 2023 with the highest number of cases being reported from the North Western (25), Southern (25), Eastern (25), and Western Provinces (22).

Kumarasinghe further said that there had been a wave of incidents of women and children being raped and murdered in the country recently and that it was a very dangerous situation. “Due to the Yukthiya operation, the country has seen some reduction in crimes against children and women.” She also said that the Police coming into schools and checking children for drugs was unacceptable, but that the Yukthiya operation launched with the aim of eradicating drugs from the country was a progressive programme.

The Yukthiya operation was launched by the Police and the Police Special Task Force under the directives of Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Acting Inspector General of Police Deshabandu Tennakoon. It has attracted criticism from several parties that allege that the operation may restrict the rights and freedoms of the people.