Sri Lanka to set up special child abuse courts COLOMBO: The government said on Saturday it will set up special courts to try child molesters, the first step toward implementing a comprehensive plan to protect Sri Lankan children from sex abuse. The special courts will be set up in four cities, the government said in a statement. A special feature of the courts will be that the identity of the victims will be kept secret during trial. Up to now, victims have been required to appear in court and answer questions by defense lawyers. The government also plans to toughen criminal law so as to deny bail to rapists, murderers and pedophiles. Under existing laws, a person accused of such crimes can obtain bail if the police doesn't object. In the past, there have been instances when the accused jumped bail and fled the country. Along with several other Asian nations, Sri Lanka, a scenic island nation of 18.6 million people off India's southern tip, has developed a reputation as a haven for foreign pedophiles. Amid growing international attention, the government has become aggressive in enforcing laws against child sex abuse. In 1995, Sri Lanka increased prison terms for pedophiles from two years to a mandatory 10 years. But there have been very few convictions because the victims were reluctant to give evidence in an open court. Some of the convictions include Jahn Nielsen, a Norwegian, who was sentenced in October 1999 by the high court in Negombo city to 14 years in prison for forcing a young boy to have sexual intercourse. In July 1999, the same court had sentenced Erik Ostlund, a Swede, to two years in prison after he was found guilty of pedophilia. (AP)
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