The family of a 16-year-old Tamil girl who was abducted and raped have demanded that all the perpetrators are brought to justice, as they alleged the Sri Lankan police have refused to apprehend all those responsible.

Protesting outside the Jaffna branch of the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission, family members said the police have taken little action and said the victim had since tried to commit suicide.

The girl was abducted from Jaffna found in Kilinochchi by Sri Lankan police several days later. She was admitted to a hospital in Kilinochchi with several injuries and told staff that she had been raped. Though two men have been arrested, relatives state that many more perpetrators are still at large.

“We want justice,” said one relative. “We are orphans with no father or mother.”

“She had gone to hospital to seek medical treatment for a headache she had.  On the way, she was waylaid, abducted and taken away. My younger sister has named ten persons who were involved in the act. But only two have been arrested…. They would not show our sister, nor do they let us see her. They are not delivering any justice.”

“The dress the child was wearing had been torn,” another family member told reporters. “She looked as if she has been attacked by a ghost. The child looked scared… She is now in a very serious condition.”

“We had filed a complaint with the police and requested the governor's office to mete out justice for this crime,” said another relative. “It has been a week since we made the complaint and appealed to the governor but no one has told us about the course of action they will take, nor do they listen to the torment our sister went through in the hands of the kidnappers.”

“We have submitted a petition  demanding justice for our daughter. Our family will not leave until proper and tangible action is taken on this petition and justice is provided to us.  Unless this is done, we are even prepared to self-immolate ourselves at this very place.”