A deputy principal accused of beating a 12-year-old Grade 7 student at a school in the Welimada Education Zone surrendered to the Ambagasdowa Police on Saturday (31 October) with her husband, police said.

She was produced before the Welimada Magistrate’s Court and released on a personal bail of Rs. 200,000 by Acting Magistrate S.B. Samarakoon.

According to police, the incident took place on 23 October. The deputy principal entered a Grade 7 classroom during the third period because the regular teacher was absent.

Police said she asked the students about several leaves lying on the classroom floor. When two students stood up, she allegedly took a broom kept near the door and hit them with its handle.

The deputy principal allegedly struck the girl with the broom handle, poked her body with wooden sticks and slapped her on the ear.

The girl told her mother and grandfather what had happened. She first sought treatment at an Ayurvedic centre in the area and was later admitted to the Welimada Base Hospital with pain in her hand. She has since been discharged.

Police said the matter came to light when hospital police officers recorded a statement from the girl and informed the Ambagasdowa Police.

Police said the deputy principal had been avoiding the police for several days. She reportedly received treatment at a private hospital, saying she had high blood pressure, and then stayed at a house in the Bandarawela area. She had not reported to school since the incident and had allegedly gone into hiding while police were looking for her.

The Ambagasdowa Police are continuing investigations under the instructions of senior police officers of the Uva Province and the Badulla District.

Background

Corporal punishment in Sri Lankan schools has been banned for several years. The ban follows a 2005 Supreme Court ruling in a case brought on behalf of a student, and the Education Ministry has since issued circulars telling schools not to use physical punishment on students. Under the Penal Code, a person who causes hurt to another can face criminal charges, and cases involving children are treated with particular care by the police and the courts.

Welimada is in the Badulla District of the Uva Province. The Welimada Education Zone is one of the administrative zones through which the provincial education authorities manage schools in the area.

Police have described the allegations against the deputy principal as claims that are still being investigated. She has not been found guilty of any offence, and the court has so far only considered her bail.

What it means

For parents, the case is a reminder that complaints about violence against a student at school can be made to the police and to the education authorities. In this case, it was a hospital statement taken by police officers that set the criminal investigation in motion.

Parents who are worried about a child’s treatment at school can ask the school management, the zonal education office or the police for help. Medical treatment records, such as those from a government hospital, are normally an important part of such investigations.

The result of the police inquiry will decide whether the deputy principal is charged in court.