An article published by BBC Sinhala has sparked a major dispute after National People’s Power Member of Parliament Lakmali Hemachandra announced intentions to raise a privilege issue in Parliament over its contents. The controversial report detailed a meeting of the Parliamentary Women MPs’ Caucus which examined a high-profile case of alleged minor sexual abuse.
According to the publication, the session involved tense exchanges regarding the conduct of the National Child Protection Authority and the police investigation, with Hemachandra reportedly defending the law enforcement timeline and questioning the child protection authority’s assertions in court.
The report further noted that child protection officials staunchly defended their intervention as a statutory duty, an exchange that took place before senior police officers and representatives from the Attorney General’s Department. When questioned about the meeting, Hemachandra emphasised that the discussion’s sole focus was the child’s welfare rather than political point-scoring.
However, following the article’s release, she fiercely criticized the journalist on social media for constructing a malicious and false narrative, culminating in her decision to seek parliamentary intervention over the matter.
Full BBC Sinhala report – https://www.bbc.com/sinhala/articles/c621g9e5ek2o
