Wijjapathi Muththalage Ariyadasa Vs. The Attorney General – CA HCC 188/24-2025

In the matter concerning the Wijjapathi Muththalage Ariyadasa and The Attorney General, the legal issue addressed was the appeal against a conviction and sentence for rape under Section 364 (2)(e) of the Penal Code, with a specific focus on the mitigation of the imposed sentence. The Accused-Appellant had been found guilty of rape, resulting in a sentence of 12 years rigorous imprisonment, a fine, and compensation. The appeal sought a reduction in this sentence, citing the appellant’s age, absence of prior convictions, wife’s ill health, consistent court attendance for nine years, and responsibility for grandchildren. Counterbalancing these were aggravating factors including the victim’s age (14) and the appellant’s age (51) at the time of the offense, the appellant’s status as a close rel