Herath Mudiyanselage Somawardhana vs The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0054/2020-2022

In the case between Herath Mudiyanselage Somawardhana alias Anura (Accused-Appellant) and The Hon. Attorney General (Complainant-Respondent), the court addressed whether uncorroborated testimony, alongside deficiencies in medical and supporting evidence, sufficed to uphold a conviction for statutory rape. It was held that the evidence as adduced did not prove statutory rape beyond reasonable doubt, given material discrepancies and the lack of necessary corroboration, thereby requiring the conviction for rape to be set aside. However, the court determined that the facts warranted a conviction for sexual harassment under Section 345 of the Penal Code due to the Appellant’s misuse of authority and inappropriate conduct. The decision reaffirmed the principle that convictions in serious sexual