March 10, 2025 – March 16, 2025 | Vol.15, #11
Event: Over the past week, the Sinhala media focused on the reported rape of a medical doctor in Anuradhapura and the warrant issued to arrest Deshabandu Tennakoon.
On the reported rape of a medical doctor in Anuradhapura:
On March 10, a female doctor attached to the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital was reportedly raped in her hospital quarters.[1][2]
On March 11, the doctors attached to the Anuradhapura Hospital and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) launched a strike demanding the suspect’s arrest.[3][4]
On March 12, the police apprehended an army deserter as the suspect in relation to the reported rape.[5][6] On the same day, the GMOA stated it would continue the strike even after the suspect’s arrest.[7][8] However, the GMOA called off the strike on March 13.[9][10]
On the warrant issued to arrest Tennakoon:
On February 28, the Magistrate’s Court in Matara issued a warrant for the arrest of Tennakoon in connection with a fatal shooting incident in Weligama in December 2023.[11][12]
On March 6, the Police Media Spokesperson Buddhika Manatunga announced that Tennakoon could not be located and was evading arrest.[13][14] Manatunga also urged the public to report any information regarding Tennakoon’s whereabouts to the CID.[15][16]
Key insights: The media coverage of the reported rape of a doctor provides a window into understanding two exceptional societal...