The case that kept the entire nation within a realm of suspense finally came to an end when the murderers of schoolgirl Vithiya Sivaloganathan were sentenced to death on September 28, 2017. Thus far this is the most sensational criminal case in 2017 which created tremendous media hype both locally and internationally.
On the 13 of May 2015, then 18 year old Vithiya left her home to go to school in Punguduthivu. It was routine for her to go to school by bicycle along with 2 other friends. There were some days that her brother Nishanthan dropped her by motorcycle.
However on this day she was destined to walk alone around 7.25am. Her mother and brother noticed she had not returned from school, which generally closes by 2pm. The distraught mother and brother had gone to the Kayts Police post to lodge a complaint, where they allege they were not taken seriously. By evening they began to search for her.
Again they commenced their search the next morning by 5 am, using her pet dogs (Vithiya also reared a goat at home named Kutty and she was very fond of her pets). The dogs had led her brother to a dilapidated building, where they first found her bicycle and one shoe. Soon Nishanthan was horrified to find his young sister almost nude, lying dead. He hands were tied using her own school tie.
The sordid kind of crime scene sent shock waves to the culturally sensitive Northern people and the rest of the nation creating anger and waves of public sympathy. The police were under immense pressure.
By the 20th May 2015, exactly seven days later the police brought the 12 suspects to court under heavy security. The people gathered outside the courts and protested, violently expressing their anger.
The main suspect who is said to have orchestrated this abduction and murder Mahalingam Shashikumar was also arrested. He managed to flee and was again taken into custody in Wellawatte, Colombo. A senior police officer was charged in this regard.
It is believed by some that the main reason for this bloody rape was to capture it on film, which Swiss Kumar had done.
There is a crime racket with global patronization that sells videos of South Asian women being gang raped. Apparently people are now getting tired of watching pornographic videos, and willing to pay top dollar to watch ‘reality rape’ videos.
We cannot ascertain what happened to Vithiya’s rape video, if it was sold and who made the purchase?
In the backdrop of this murder and verdict, it is time that the Sri Lankan people realized the diabolic mindset of sexual predators and their blood lust for sexual gratification.
We cannot hide under the veil of tradition and culture, we must confront reality: one such reality is that our country is being steadily influenced by pornography. Many believe that Swiss Kumar was addicted to porn, and so would the others now sentenced to death.
A state witness during the trial had given evidence that the girl had been stalked by one Kushanthan (alias Periyathambi) for almost three months. This is not an ‘impulse murder’ but a premeditated sadistic killing.
Her school bag and cycle were left at the crime scene. Subsequently the trial-at –bar charged them with plotting, abduction, rape, murder, aiding and abetting. The CID did some brilliant investigating in this case.
The family of innocent Vithiya has received justice, but will they ever find complete solace? How many such sexual predators are lurking in society ready to strike a vulnerable victim?