A’pura Hospital sexual assault case: Suspect seeks to make another statement in court

The Anuradhapura Magistrate’s Court has rejected a request made by a former army soldier, who is a suspect in a sexual assault case involving a female specialist doctor undergoing training at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, seeking permission to make another statement in court.

According to the Ada Derana court reporter, the request was made during the hearing of the case before Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Nalaka Sanjeewa Jayasuriya.

Responding to the suspect’s request, the Sub Inspector of Police (SI) of the Child and Women’s Bureau of the Anuradhapura Police A.C. Dayananda informed the Magistrate that the suspect was attempting to use the court to make various false statements in a deliberate effort to defame and distress the victimized doctor.

Police further stated that the suspect was intentionally trying to spread these false claims through media to cause emotional harm to the doctor.

Previously, the suspect made a false statement in open court, claiming that the sexual act was not committed by force, according to police.

The Sub Inspector of the Child and Women’s Bureau of the Anuradhapura Police requested court not to allow such malicious and false statements, which waste the court’s time and are made with ill intent.

The court also ordered police to send the smartphone belonging to the doctor—which was recovered by police while the suspect had allegedly hidden it after abducting her—to the government forensic examiner and submit the related forensic report to court.

The former Army soldier, who is currently in remand custody over the incident, has been further remanded until July 29.

Earlier, the Anuradhapura Police had been instructed to present the suspect for a DNA test and submit the medical report to court.

In a further report to court, police indicated that investigations into the crime are still ongoing.

The suspect, a former Army soldier residing in the Galnewa new town, had previously been presented for an identification parade, during which the victimized doctor successfully identified him.