The Nuwara Eliya High Court has issued an order to take up for hearing the case filed against two suspects for sexually molesting an 18-year-old girl in August 2001, a case that has been under examination for over 20 years.
Nuwara Eliya High Court Judge Dharshika Wimalasiri today (07) instructed for the case to be taken up for daily hearing as it is yet to be resolved.
Ordering the case to be taken up for hearing on 15, 16, and 24th March, the judge further issued notice to all parties involved in the case to appear before the court on the said dates.
It has been reported that the 18-year-old female victim is now a 38-year-old mother of two.
A case has been filed against two suspects for abducting and sexually molesting the girl while she was returning home after attending church in the Thalawakele area in August 2001.
The case was taken up for hearing since 2001 after which the Attorney General had filed indictments at the Nuwara Eliya High Court in 2004.
After a period of 10 years, in 2015 the Nuwara Eliya High Court sentenced the two suspects to 5 years rigorous imprisonment on one charge, and 18 years of rigorous imprisonment for the second and third charges in the case.
The suspects had thereafter filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal against their prison sentence.
As it was unclear if the case had been heard before a jury, the Court of Appeal suspended the sentencing and instructed the Nuwara Eliya High Court to recommence the hearing from the begining.
Thereafter, a judge who had been involved in the hearing of the case had recused himself from the hearing.
When the case was taken up for hearing today, Nuwara Eliya High Court judge Dharshika Wimalasiri ordered for the case to be taken up for continuous hearing.
She issued notice to all parties involved in the case to appear before the courts on the 15, 16, and 24th of March on which dates the case will be taken up for consideration. (NewsWire)