The Hon. (Mrs.) M.A.C.S. Chathuri Gangani

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, thank you for the opportunity. As a teacher and a mother, I welcome this Penal Code (Amendment) Bill. Under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), every person under 18 is recognized as a child, and all rights in the CRC apply to them. Our Constitution’s Article 11 affirms that no person shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

¶ 02 The CRC rests on four core principles: non-discrimination; the best interests of the child; the right to life, survival, and development; and respect for the views of the child. Since Sri Lanka’s 1992 National Children’s Charter, implementation has been vested in the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services. This Bill advances those duties.

¶ 03 The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child defines physical punishment as any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. In Sri Lanka, children as young as 2–4 years are subjected to physical punishment; those 5–14 too are frequently exposed. Surveys across 29 countries indicate that out of every ten children aged 1–2, at least three suffer physical punishment or violence.

¶ 04 We must ask what kind of society we want. A civilized society that safeguards children’s rights and is free from violence requires us to rethink physical punishment. Physical punishment has led to injuries and, at times, even death. It pushes children toward aggression, alienates them from school, and undermines their self-esteem.

¶ 05 UN observations on Sri Lanka note a rapid rise in children subjected to physical punishment, abuse, and violence—at home, in care, in daycare, hostels, children’s homes, schools, and institutions that still consider punishment a lawful right. These are not easy indicators to accept. If we want a robust future citizenry, we must create environments where children are treated without violence.

¶ 06 Some parents ask whether they cannot discipline their own children. But parents are not the absolute proprietors of children’s personhood and rights. A 2017 survey across 32 selected schools reported 80.4% of students had faced corporal or physical punishment; 53.2% reported physical abuse; 72.5% reported psychological abuse.

¶ 07 This is not about targeting any group, such as teachers. The Ministry circular 17/2005 (11 May 2005) expressly prohibited corporal punishment in schools, and circular 12/2016 (29 April 2017) warned that corporal punishment could amount to fundamental rights violations. Many nations—68 that have ratified the CRC—have fully prohibited corporal punishment, and youth violence has declined there.

¶ 08 Child abuse incidents in Sri Lanka have surged: 1,789 (2023), 2,378 (2024), and 1,403 by July 2025. From 1 January to 31 August 2025, the National Child Protection Authority recorded 6,456 child-related complaints; Monaragala District alone had 169. This amendment is necessary to strengthen protection.

¶ 09 On broader social issues: while the Opposition invites a “middle path,” during their years in power we saw the country flooded with narcotics; domestic production hubs emerged; just yesterday, authorities seized 1,845 kg of “ice” and 1,243 kg of heroin. These target our children. Alongside this legal reform, we are committed to building an environment where children can live safely and with confidence.