Mallawathanthrige Samantha Mallawa vs The Attorney General – CA HCC 104/2023-2025

In the matter of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka v. Mallawathanthrige Samantha Mallawa, the court addressed charges of rape and criminal intimidation. The appeal challenged the evaluation of witness credibility and the sufficiency of evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The court upheld the conviction, reaffirming that minor inconsistencies in a victim’s testimony, particularly in cases of trauma and passage of time, do not preclude a guilty verdict if overall credibility is established and corroborated by medical evidence. This decision emphasized the rigorous standards for appellate review of trial court findings of fact.

B. Sasi Mahendran, J. – The judgment was delivered addressing the appeal against convictions for rape and criminal intimidation. It was