The British government is to deport a Tamil woman back to Sri Lanka, despite claims that she was repeatedly raped by Sri Lankan soldiers, reports Channel 4 News.
The Tamil woman, who came to the UK to seek asylum in 2010, was repeatedly raped while held in detention by Sri Lankan soldiers after the end of the armed conflict in 2009.
The woman’s asylum case was turned down by the British Home Office despite serious concerns for her safety when she is handed back to Sri Lankan authorities and evidence of previous rape and torture.
Expert evidence analysed by Channel 4 News further found that the woman suffered from PTSD and that her claims of rape in Sri Lanka were credible, despite Home Office doubts of credibility.
A senior psychologist, who is an expert in trauma and contributed to her medical report, was critical of the style of questioning from the Home Office, which she said "jumped back and forth." She further added that questions asked "do not appear to be of an appropriate style for an interview in relation to alleged torture and rape, or to follow Home Office guidelines on interviewing alleged victims of torture and sexual violence."
The Sri Lanka expert at Amnesty International, Yolanda Foster, expressed concern over the British Home Office’s failure to support sexual violence survivors through their asylum claims, which resulted in asylum seekers being unable to be open or give enough evidence of the violence and torture they had faced.
“The UK government needs to improve support and protection for Sri Lanka survivors of sexual violence or else Hague’s promises on preventing sexual violence on the global stage will ring untrue,” she told Channe4 News.
The Tamil woman, who came to the UK to seek asylum in 2010, was repeatedly raped while held in detention by Sri Lankan soldiers after the end of the armed conflict in 2009.
The woman’s asylum case was turned down by the British Home Office despite serious concerns for her safety when she is handed back to Sri Lankan authorities and evidence of previous rape and torture.
Expert evidence analysed by Channel 4 News further found that the woman suffered from PTSD and that her claims of rape in Sri Lanka were credible, despite Home Office doubts of credibility.
A senior psychologist, who is an expert in trauma and contributed to her medical report, was critical of the style of questioning from the Home Office, which she said "jumped back and forth." She further added that questions asked "do not appear to be of an appropriate style for an interview in relation to alleged torture and rape, or to follow Home Office guidelines on interviewing alleged victims of torture and sexual violence."
The Sri Lanka expert at Amnesty International, Yolanda Foster, expressed concern over the British Home Office’s failure to support sexual violence survivors through their asylum claims, which resulted in asylum seekers being unable to be open or give enough evidence of the violence and torture they had faced.
“The UK government needs to improve support and protection for Sri Lanka survivors of sexual violence or else Hague’s promises on preventing sexual violence on the global stage will ring untrue,” she told Channe4 News.