Death of teen domestic worker: Court orders exhumation of body for fresh post-mortem
COLOMBO – The Colombo Magistrate’s Court on Monday (26) ordered the exhumation of the body of a 16-year-old female domestic worker who died of burn injures while employed at former minister and MP, Rishad Bathiudeen’s Colombo residence, and further remanded Bathiudeen’s wife and three others until August 9.
The four defendants, who also included Bathiudeen’s father-in-law, brother-in-law, and the broker who had brought the teenager for employment from Dayagama, in the Nuwara Eliya district, to the former minister’s residence, were produced before the court when the case was taken up on Monday.
The Court issued the exhumation order instructing a fresh post-mortem examination be carried out into the death of the teenager, who was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital with third-degree burns on July 3 and succumbed to the injuries on July 15.
The post-mortem examination conducted immediately after her death had revealed evidence of “chronic vaginal penetration”, though it did not elaborate further.
Following multiple investigations conducted into the incident, the wife of the MP, her father, and the broker were arrested in connection to the death early Friday (23) morning. The brother-in-law was arrested over allegations of sexually abusing a 22-year-old former domestic aide at the MP’s residence over a period of several years.
The sexual abuse came to light when police recorded statements from two women, aged 22 and 31, also from Dayagama, who had previously worked at Bathiudeen’s ministerial residence as domestic aides.
The Borella Police, along with several other police units, has recorded 36 statements so far in connection to the death of the 16-year-old.
Police spokesman, Senior Deputy Inspector General (SIDG) Ajith Rohana, said Bathuideen’s wife, his brother-in-law, father-in-law, and one other suspect were held on a 72-hour detention order over the incident. Bathuideen himself is detained and under the custody of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), over alleged links to the perpetrators of the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Rohana said investigations have focused on what had caused the teenager’s death, how she was subjected to alleged sexual abuse “as mentioned in the postmortem report”, and into alleged reports of cruelty, she had been subjected to while working at the Bathuideen residence.
In a media release issued on Sunday (25), police said a statement could not be recorded from the 16-year-old victim when she was admitted to the hospital on July 3 due to her condition. It said investigators had found several burnt items in the deceased girl’s room at Bathuideen residence, and they have been sent to the government analyst’s department.
Presenting evidence pertaining to the case to courts on Saturday (24), Deputy Solicitor General Dileep Peiris said the ‘broker’ who brought the 16-year-old to the former minister’s household had previously brought 11 girls to the same household and their salaries had been credited to a bank account maintained by the person in Agarapathana in the Nuwara Eliya district
The victim’s mother, addressing a press conference on July 20 rejected speculation of possible suicide by the teen, implying there could be foul play.
-ENCL