Domestic violence left 74 dead last yearBy Kamal Bogoda

There had been 74 killings due to domestic violence in 2022, Chairman of the National Authority for the Protection of Witnesses and Victims, Suhada Gamlath, said.Addressing the media at the Ministry of Justice, on Thursday, Gamlath said the Authority had introduced the hotline 1985 for those who affected by such violence.

“We are currently studying crime patterns in the country. Based on this, we will come up with a programme to tackle crime. We will then present this to Parliament,” Gamlath said.

The one-time Solicitor General said that crime rate had increased dramatically, and that victims and witnesses of crime were suffering greatly.

“Our raison d’etre is to protect victims and witnesses. The 07 March of each year has been declared the day to support and protect the victims and witnesses of crime,” he said.

According to a 2022 report by the UNFPA, one in every four Sri Lankan women is subjected to physical, or sexual violence, at some point in their lives. The UNFPA believes that this figure will rise as incomes dwindle and tensions at home mount. The police and government response to reports of domestic violence is being largely diverted by civil unrest, just as hotlines and shelters have had to close down.