Young SLN recruit commits suicide in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 June 2008, 06:33 GMT]
A 23-year-old Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) recruit, enlisted six months ago, shot himself to death Wednesday night at Allaippiddi, in the islets of Jaffna. The young recruit left a letter saying that he was deceived by his recruiters and brought to the north and that he was not granted leave to go home.

Oorkaavaththu’rai (Kayts) magistrate Ms. Joy Mahadeva visited Thursday the place where the recruit killed himself and conducted inquires.

The magistrate directed the police to have the post mortem examination performed by Colombo Judicial Medical Officer and to hand over the body to the recruit’s relatives after the examination.

More than 15 young Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) recruits between 16 to 20 years of age were found dead following a mysterious shooting incident in their camp, 16 June, in Delft (Neduntheevu), the farthest island off Jaffna.

Unconfirmed reports allege collective suicide due to frustration caused by isolation and harsh training.

Before the incident, the trainees had conveyed their frustrations to reliable sources.

The trainees were reportedly deceived by their recruiters that they were to be trained somewhere in the South of Sri Lanka, but had been brought to Nedunththeevu in the North.

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