A 68-year-old man has been sentenced to 60 years of rigorous imprisonment after being found guilty on three counts of sexual abuse of a preschool-aged child living next door.
The sentence issued by Colombo High Court Judge R.S.S. Sapuwida includes 20 years of imprisonment for each charge, to be served consecutively.
In addition, the court ordered the accused to pay a fine of Rs. 30,000 and compensation of Rs. 1 million to the victim, warning that failure to pay would result in an additional two years of imprisonment.
The court heard that the accused had lured the girl into his home on multiple occasions over two months, taking advantage of times when her parents were away from home.
Following a lengthy trial, the judge ruled that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
The accused, who was 55 at the time of the offences, was identified as a close relative of the victim and the father of two adult daughters. (Newswire)