Justice for Amshi: A Nation’s Shame and a Call to Action

A 15-year-old girl named Amshi—brilliant, talented, and full of promise—is dead. She took her own life after being sexually abused three times by her teacher at Ramanathan Hindu Ladies College in Colombo. Instead of being protected, she was forced to be removed from school by the very principal who should have defended her. Forced into a new school in Kotahena, she then endured repeated public humiliation at a tuition class run by a friend of her abuser. On April 29, 2025, the trauma became unbearable—Amshi ended her life. Her death is not an isolated tragedy but a damning reflection of systemic rot: a school that expelled the victim, an education ministry that acted only after protests, a tuition teacher who abused power, and a society that failed to protect its children. There can be no more Amshi’s. Its time society acted & demanded justice & system changes that punish the abusers & prevents sexual abuse of children.

The incident in brief:

A 15-year-old school girl had been sexually abused by her Maths teacher at her school Ramanathan Hindu Ladies College in October-November 2025.

The school principal had forced her parents to remove her from school

She had been put to a school in Kotahena where she lived.

She was a talented student (academically & extracurricular) from certificates shown by parents.

She attended a popular tuition class. Her teacher was a friend of the teacher who abused her & infront of the tuition class she had been humiliated repeatedly.

The sexual abuse & the humiliation was too much to bear so she took her life on 29 April 2025.

Let’s go through the timeline:

• Amshi sexually abused by male teacher in Ramanathan Hindu Ladies School Bambalapitiya in Oct-Nov 2024 (3 times)
• 8 January 2025 – Bambalapitiya Police arrests teacher, produces him before Magistrate & remands him for 3 days & released him (10 January 2025) on bail with travel ban.
• 18 January 2025 – Amshi joins Rajeshwari tuition class. It turns out that this tuition class is run by Sivanandarajah a JVP organizer & friend of the teacher who sexually abused Amshi.
• 29 April 2025 – Amshi takes her life
• 29-30 April 2025 – Amshi’s parents give statement to Kotahena police
• 4 May 2025 – Amshi’s parents make a press statement
• 8 May 2025 – 4 Public Protests a) outside Education Ministry b) outside Bambapalitiya School c) outside tuition class d) outside the home of Amshi demanding justice for Amshi
• 8 May 2025 – Education Ministry letter calls for explanation from Principal of Bambalapitiya School & transfers the teacher to a school in Puttalam
• 9 May 2025 – Statement from Police Media Division (very important)

The police statement claims that based on a complaint filed on 8 December 2024 to the Bambalapitiya Police, the alleged teacher had been arrested on 8 January 2025 and produced to the Aluth Kade Court 3 Magistrates Court & had been kept in remand till 10 January 2025 (3 days) & was released on bail with a travel ban. This case is to be taken on 19 May 2025.

Note: the statement does not state who filed complaint to the Bambalapitiya Police. As per MP Mujabur Rahaman, it was the Kotahena Police.

• After the child’s death, on 6 May 2025 the Child and Women Abuse Prevention and Investigation Bureau had received a call to their 109 emergency number by a third party informing that the owner of the tuition class the girl attended, had humiliated the girl infront of the class and that together with the sexual abuse was the reason to take her life. Thus the bureau had presented these facts to the Court. The Bureau & the Bambalapitiya police are continuing investigations.
• 19 May 2025 – teacher accused of sexually abusing Amshi to appear in Court 3 Magistrates Court Aluth Kade

Unanswered questions:

• How did the parents come to know about the sexual abuse of their daughter – did Amshi tell them, did a friend tell them & was this told immediately after the abuse? – reports claim she had been sexually abused Oct-Nov 2024, the Opposition Leader mentions 23 October 2024 as first incident.
• Did Amshi inform the Principal of the school or a teacher?
• When did Amshi’s mother inform the Principal of Bambalapitiya Ramanathan Hindu Ladies School?
• What did Principal do after being informed by Amshi’s mother? Why did the Principal not take proper action against the teacher?
• When did Principal force Amshi’s parents to remove her from school? Was it after the teacher had been arrested? As per the statement by the Police Media Division dated 9 May 2025, the Bambalapitiya Police had arrested the teacher on 8 January 2025 after a complaint filed on 8 December 2024.
• Sivanandarajah who runs the Rajeshwari tuition class in a statement outside CID is a JVP organizer & friend of the teacher who sexually abused Amshi. He is accused of verbally humiliating her in front of other students. An anonymous call made to the Child and Women Abuse Prevention and Investigation Bureau 109 emergency number on 6 May 2025 disclosed these details as another reason for Amshi to take her life. Amshi’s parents in their statements on 29^th & 30^th April to the Kotahena police following the death of Amshi on 29^th April had also mentioned the Rajeshwari tuition class & the tuition owner.
• Sivanandarajah claimed that Amshi joined the tuition class on 18 January 2025 – this was 10 days after the arrest of his friend, the teacher who had abused Amshi. Was this a key reason for him to humiliate Amshi in class?
• MP Mujabur Rahman on 9 May in Parliament claims that the tuition teacher’s house has been given 8man police protection – how true is this & on what grounds is he been given protection by the Govt?
• MP Mujabur Rahman also states that the girl was examined by the GMOA who confirmed sexual abuse & informed the Kotahena police who had informed the Bambalapitiya police to take necessary action. The MP does not mention dates. But for GMOA to examine Amshi, for the Kotahena police to be informed & Kotahena police to file complaint on 8 December 2024 & ask Bambalapitiya Police to inquire – the GMOA checkup has to have taken place in December 2024, which resulted in the eventual arrest of the teacher on 8 January 2025.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1001036855344255&rdid=vDn1wW6RIZCm8hvy (9 May)

MP Mujabur also stated in Parliament that it was only AFTER the joint protests that the Education Ministry took action against the teacher by transferring him.

The Prime Minister denied this, claiming action was taken by the Education Ministry before the protest, however this has been proven wrong with the transfer notice dated 8 May 2025 https://www.newswire.lk/2025/05/08/colombo-school-girl-death-teacher-transferred-with-immediate-effect/ In actual fact the transfer & calling for explanation was on the SAME DAY of the protests.

The Education Ministry is calling for explanation from the Principal 9 days after the death of Amshi.

The Education Ministry is transferring the teacher who sexually abused Amshi to another school in Puttalam fully aware of the sexual crime he is accused of by sending him to another school where innocent children may be likely prey.
Additionally, the Education Ministry was transferring him fully aware that the Bambapalitiya Police had arrested him on 8 January 2025, kept him in remand for 3 days & his case was to be taken up at Court 3 Magistrates Court, Aluth Kade on 19 May 2025.

• The PM says an investigation has been launched – when, by whom, with what mandate?
• The PM says “no one knows what has happened” the police statement is very clear about the crime & GMOA has confirmed it.
• The PM even gives the wrong age for Amshi – claiming her to be 13 when she was 15.
• The PM has to admit that action against the Principal & the teacher took place by her & his Ministry ONLY 9 days after Amshi’s death.
• There is little that needs to be said about the Women’s Minister Paulraj who has absolutely no empathy for a child who took her life because of sexual abuse & public bullying, even demanding that Amshi’s parents need to come to her feet to meet her.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1423932412109453&rdid=6qUvV7fjLuFa1Wsx / https://www.dailymirror.lk/breaking-news/Teachers-Union-slams-Minister-over-comments-on-Kotahena-schoolgirls-death/108-308586

Amshi is no more.

But she deserves justice.

Several crimes have been committed. The guilty must be legally punished & socially shunned.

1. Criminal Prosecution for Sexual Abuse – Penal Code
2. Abetment of suicide – as teachers / tuition teachers actions led to her suicide
3. Investigation & arrest & judicial proceedings – case is ongoing
4. Crucial role of NCPA – to protect the child’s rights even though she is no more.
5. Civil suit – family can file civil suit for damages against teacher (legal fraternity must come forward to offer free service for this & consider this as a civic duty)
6. Institutional accountability – hold the Principal to account & anyone else involved who knew & did nothing. Legal action for negligence & dereliction of duty, failure to protect a child, failure to act on knowledge of abuse which has jail term & fine. If evidence shows the principal covered up or discouraged reporting the principal should be charged as an accessory.
7. Action against tuition teacher (friend of abuser) – committing psychological cruelty to the child, humiliating a minor especially a sexual abuse survivor is a crime (penal code) & has jail term & fine. If the humiliation contributed to the suicide he can be further charged.
8. If any others are found guilty of aiding & abetting the teacher abuser of tuition teacher, police must investigate & arrest & prosecute all involved. The Women & Children’s Bureau, the NCPA must take a lead in using Amshi’s case to severely punish the guilty so that it serves as a future deterrent to sexual predators of what is going to be in store for them if they can’t keep their sexual organs in place without harming a child.

Recent legal proceedings – Kalutara, tuition teacher arrested for sexually abusing multiple school girls, wife discovered videos on laptop & reported to police.

https://frontpage.lk/kalutara-tuition-master-in-sexual-abuse-case-arrested/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.onlanka.com/news/tuition-teacher-under-investigation-for-student-assault-ignores-ncpa-summons.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Shenali D Waduge

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=494829160291097&rdid=LQhQA5TLnRI773jl (press conference by Parents of Amshi)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1001036855344255&rdid=vDn1wW6RIZCm8hvy (MP Mujabur Rahman / PM Harini – 9 May 2025)

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?mibextid=6AJuK9&v=1209294490940811 (Opposition Leader)