Aththanayaka Mudiyanselage Champa Manimekala Kumari vs The Officer – in – Charge, Police Station, Meegoda – BAL/0021/20-2021

In Aththanayaka Mudiyanselage Champa Manimekala Kumari (on behalf of Indika Sanjeewa) v. The Officer-in-Charge, Police Station, Meegoda, and Hon. Attorney General, the court addressed whether exceptional circumstances existed under the Assistance to and Protection of Victims of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 4 of 2015 to justify bail for a suspect accused of kidnapping and rape of a minor. It was held that no exceptional circumstances justified the grant of bail, given the serious nature of the allegations, vulnerability of the minor victim, and the potential risk of interference with victim testimony. The principle reaffirmed was that the interests of justice and the objective of protecting victims outweigh delays in trial proceedings, unless such delays are shown to be extraordinary. The de