Viral video of sexual assault attempt on female tourist: Suspect, father of one, arrested

A 25-year-old individual, a father of one, has been arrested on charges of an attempted sexual assault of a foreign national woman in the Thirukkovil area, after a video of the incident was widely circulated on social media.

The arrest was made today (16) during a special search operation carried out in the Marandamadu area of Kalmunai by the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Thirukkovil Police and a team of officers.

Police report that the suspect, a father of one, had been living with his wife in several rented houses in the Thirukkovil area. Following the circulation of a video clip showing the incident on social media, a post claiming that the suspect was a chickpea vendor in Thirukkovil began spreading online, prompting police to direct their attention to this information.

Acting on this information, officers visited multiple locations where the suspect had previously resided while photocopies of the national identity cards belonging to the suspect and his wife were found at one such location. Further inquiries revealed that the suspect had fled his residence three days earlier.

During the continuous search operation conducted to locate him, police arrested the suspect in the Marandamadu area this afternoon.

At the time of arrest, he had shaved off his hair and altered his appearance in an attempt to evade arrest. He has since been handed over to the Pottuvil Police for further investigations.

Sri Lanka continues to attract international attention as a leading tourist destination, celebrated for its natural beauty and the hospitality of its people. However, authorities note that isolated incidents such as this caused by unruly individuals occasionally result in distress for foreign tourists.

The current investigation was triggered by a video circulating on social media that depicts the man indecently exposing himself to a foreign woman traveling in a three-wheeler. 

The 24-year-old New Zealand tourist who experienced the incident filed an official complaint via email with the Sri Lanka Tourist Police Division last afternoon (15).

Investigations revealed that the woman, who had visited Sri Lanka in September, was traveling in a three-wheeler from Arugam Bay to Pasikuda on October 25 when she encountered the suspect in the Thirukkovil area. It was at this moment that the suspect had committed the indecent act.