Frustrated carnal marauding provokes assault

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 April 2001, 16:51 GMT]
Six civilians who were severely assaulted last night by Sri Lanka army soldiers in the village of Korakallimadu, 25 kilometers north of Batticaloa, complained to International Committee of the Red Cross Monday. One of the complainants said that the soldiers had threatened the villagers with dire consequences if the incident were to be reported to anyone. He said that more than ten persons were assaulted for raising the cry when soldiers from the Kiran Bridge camp had entered their houses and attempted to sexually harass young women late Sunday night.

The soldiers who came had broken into liquor bar in the village and got drunk before marauding into the village.

A government official from the village said that troops from the Kiran Bridge SLA camp have been in the habit of sexually harassing young women in the village at night for a long time.

He said the affected villagers, fearing retaliation for daring to bring the matter to the notice of the ICRC, are now scared to sleep in their houses at night.