Mudannayake Appuhamilage Priyantha v. The Hon. Attorney General – CA HCC/0278/2019-2022

In the case between The Hon. Attorney General, Attorney General’s Department, Colombo-12 (Complainant-Respondent) and Mudannayake Appuhamilage Priyantha (Accused-Appellant), the court addressed the issue of an appeal against a conviction and sentencing for statutory rape under Section 364(2)(e) of the Penal Code. It was determined that the grounds for appeal, which challenged the evaluation of evidence and consideration of the appellant’s good character, were without merit. The conviction and sentence were affirmed, reaffirming the principle that consistent and credible testimony of the victim, combined with the absence of supporting evidence for the defense’s claims, can sustain a conviction for statutory rape. The decision relied on established standards of appellate review and statutory