The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has held that the corporal punishment meted out to two students of a school in Pallepola, Akuramboda in 2011 is an action in violation of the fundamental rights of the children.
The court issued the verdict after taking up for consideration the petition that had been filed by the two students against the school’s Deputy Principal.
The Deputy Principal is reported to have caned the two students after allegedly assuming that the two minors were responsible for shattering the glass panes of the school’s dining hall.
The students had been caned by the Deputy Principal despite them informing him that they were not responsible for the incident and another group had pelted stones at a nearby mango tree, resulting in the glass panes shattering.
The petitioners had pointed out that the Deputy Principal had ignored their statements and had proceeded to cane them.
The court was also informed that the Deputy Principal had admitted caning the children, stating that after warning the students for damaging the windows, he wanted to cane them on their palms, and as all of them refused to raise their palms he caned them on their buttocks and sent them to their respective classes.
Taking up for hearing the petition yesterday (13), the Supreme Court held that the action of the Deputy Principal is in violation of Article.11, and 12(1) of the rights of the students.
“The Petitioners have succeeded in establishing an infringement of their fundamental rights guaranteed by Article 12(1) and 11 of the Constitution by the 1st Respondent,” the Supreme Court said.
The court further ordered the Deputy Principal to pay a sum of Rs.75,000 each to the two students.
A directive was also issued to the State to pay the school students a sum of Rs. 25,000 each as compensation. (NewsWire)