Former Sri Lankan soldier rapes doctor at hospital in shocking assault
A former Sri Lankan military officer has been arrested after he raped a female doctor at Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital, in a crime that has left many across the island outraged.
The attack, which took place on the night of March 10, has sparked widespread condemnation, with opposition politicians, doctors, and human rights activists demanding immediate action. The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has even threatened a nationwide strike in protest if justice is not swiftly served.
According to Ada Derana, the suspect is a 34-year-old resident of Galnewa and had been living as a Buddhist monk, after having deserted the military.
This incident comes in the larger context of sexual violence in Sri Lanka, where the Sri Lankan military and state institutions have a long history of systematic rape and sexual abuse, particularly targeting Tamil women.
The female doctor, who was on duty that night, was attacked while walking to the on-call room. According to reports, she was threatened at knifepoint, restrained, and then raped.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raised the issue in Parliament, warning that even female professionals, such as doctors, are no longer safe. He also criticised the government’s failure to ensure the safety of women in workplaces and called for stricter laws to prevent such crimes.
Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, responding to Premadasa’s inquiry, confirmed that the suspect was a military deserter and that five police teams had been deployed to track him down.
The suspect was later arrested in Galnewa, with Minister Wijepala assuring Parliament that legal action would be taken.
Following the attack, doctors at the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital staged an immediate strike, demanding the arrest of the suspect and stronger security measures.
The GMOA, the country’s main doctors’ union, also called for stronger protections for female healthcare workers, who continue to face threats while working in public hospitals. “We are showing our solidarity with her to highlight the seriousness of the situation. It is not just doctors, all female health workers are under threat and they are in a state of shock," Dr Chamil Wijesinghe, the GMOA spokesman said.
While this attack has sparked outrage due to its occurrence inside a hospital, sexual violence in Sri Lanka is not an isolated event.
The Sri Lankan military and police forces have been implicated in widespread sexual violence, particularly against Tamil women in the North-East.During and after the armed conflict thousands of Tamil women and girls were subjected to sexual abuse, rape, and torture at the hands of Sri Lankan soldiers. The United Nations and human rights organisations have documented cases of systematic sexual violence in military camps, detention centres, and so-called “rehabilitation” camps. Even in peacetime, Tamil women and human rights activists continue to report sexual harassment by the security forces, with perpetrators enjoying complete impunity.
Despite multiple international resolutions and UN reports, no Sri Lankan soldier or official has been held accountable for sexual violence crimes committed during the armed conflict.
The rape of the Anuradhapura doctor has further exposed Sri Lanka’s deep-rooted culture of impunity, where perpetrators of sexual violence—especially those with military ties—often go unpunished.
Women’s rights activists and human rights organisations have warned that the failure to hold perpetrators accountable has emboldened those who commit sexual crimes