Man beaten to death by family of girl (09) suspected to have been abused by him

By Norman Palihawadane

Jaffna police took into custody six persons, including two women, for killing a 52-year-old man, who had allegedly sexually abused a nine-year-old girl.

The deceased has been identified as Kanapathipillai Mahendran of Kopai, Jaffna. His body was found in his home.

He had been beaten to death, police said.

The police recovered the body, acting on information received from area residents.

Police said that they had information that the man had been beaten to death by the family members and relatives of the nine-year-old girl.

Kopai Police Station OIC Chief Inspector A.P. Wedagedara told The Island that the parents of the child and her younger brother had been entrusted to the deceased to take them to school last Thursday.  It is suspected that the girl was abused on her way home from school at the victim’s house when his wife was away.

The incident came to light after the girl related the harrowing details about what happened to her teachers at school last Friday. Thereafter family members and their relatives had gone to the house of the man and had beaten him, accusing him of raping the girl, police said. Kopai police are conducting investigations.