Mannar DMO report confirms torture and rape

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 April 2001, 17:27 GMT]
The District Medical Officer of Mannar in his medical report to the Mannar court this weekend on Wijikala Nanthakumar, the pregnant woman who were arrested on 19 March by the Counter Subversive Unit, said that there were abrasions on her genitals and that there was bleeding in her vagina during examination. Dr. G.Somasekeram, the Mannar DMO who submitted the report on Saturday after examining Wijikala Nanthakumar on 30 March said, "From the history given by the subject and (from) examination I come to the conclusion that Nanthan Wijikala was tortured and raped".

The DMO states in his report that according to Wijikala and Sivamani Weerakon, they had been threatened by CSU personnel when they were produced before him on 22 March 2001 not to tell him (the DMO) the truth about what had happened to them since their arrest on 19 March. Sources at the Mannar base hospital said that medical evidence in the women for rape could not be found because of the gap of eleven days between the rape and the second examination.

The following is the full text of the Mannar DMO's medical reports on Wijikala and Sivamani.

Report on Wijikala:

"The District Judge Mannar

The following persons were produced before me on 30/3/2001 at 12.45 p.m. at the Base Hospital Mannar.

• 1.Nanthakumar Wijikala aged 22 years
• 2. Sinnathamby Sivamani Weerakon aged 22 years
• 1. Nanthakumar Wijikala, 22,
  complained of sexual harassment on 19 March 2001 at 10.p.m at CSU Mannar. She said that she was taken to CSU by armed persons and she was asked to remove her clothes. Since she didn't remove the clothes, the armed persons forcibly removed her clothes. She was left with only her panty and bra. Then she said she was asked to come in front of an officer standing there. But she refused. Then another person removed the panty and bra. Then she told that her eyes were tied with a sock. After that one person forcibly inserted his penis into her vagina. They bit her all over her body, specially her breast and vagina. Then another person raped her. The she started bleeding from the vagina and then they stopped. When produced before me on 22/3/2001 she was strictly warned by the person in the CSU not to reveal the truth to the DMO.

On examination: There were nail marks on (semi -circular abrasions of about 5 to 6 mm) elbows, forearms, wrists. Abrasions: abrasions on both ears, side of breast and left mid thigh. There were healing abrasions on (R) labia majora. The per vaginal examination was very painful. There was bleeding on examining finger. Perineum slightly swollen.

Conclusions:

From the history given by the subject and (from) examination I come to the conclusion that Nanthan Wijikala was tortured and raped."

Medical legal report on Sivamani:

"The District Judge Mannar

The following persons were produced before me on 30/3/2001 at 12.45 p.m. at the Base Hospital Mannar.


1.Nanthakumar Wijikala aged 22 years
2. Sinnathamby Sivamani Weerakon aged 22 years
3. Sivamani Sinnathamby Weerakon
Complained of sexual harassment on 19.2001 at 10 p.m. in a white colour van and at CSU Mannar.

She said she was taken by armed persons to CSU. She was alone in the van. Van driver tied her to the driver's seat and an armed person tied her eye with a sock. Then one person forcibly removed her clothes partially and inserted his penis into her vagina for about five minutes. She was in the van for some time and taken into the CSU office by armed persons and asked her to remove her clothes (sic). She refused to remove the clothes. Then the armed persons forcibly removed the clothes and made her naked. When she was produced before me on 22/3/2001 she was strictly warned by the persons in the CSU not to reveal any truth to DMO.

On examination:

Contusion on both shoulder region (sic). Nail marks (Semi circular abrasions of about 5-6 mm) on the right mid arm. Abrasions on both arms, right wrist joint area. There were no injuries on the breast, thigh and vagina.

Conclusion From the history given by the subject and examination I come to the conclusion that Sivamani Sinnathamby Weerakon was tortured, hurt and sexually harassed But there in no evidence to say that penetration has taken place."