by Shaminda Ferdinando
Tougher laws appeared to have failed to check mounting cases of rape, incest and unnatural offences, according to police headquarters records.

Police logged a staggering 1200 cases of rape including incest and 270 cases of unnatural offences in the first 11 months last year.

They logged 1181 and 1154 cases of rape including incest in 2000 and 2001 respectively. Police placed the number of cases of unnatural offences reported to headquarters at 164 and 274 in 2000 and 2001.

"Tougher laws appeared to have made no impact, particularly in the provinces," a senior policeman said. They contain provisions to strengthen the law relating to rape, sexual relations between relatives (incest), grave sexual abuse, use of children in obscene publications, cruelty to children, grievous hurt, sexual harassment, pimping, sexual exploitation of children, trafficking of persons, unnatural offences, gross indecency and publication of matters relating to sexual offences.

At present there is provision for a prison term which may extend upto 20 years and a fine for rape.

Anuradhapura police division has recorded the highest number of rape cases, including incest with almost 80 cases, Ratnapura comes second with over 80 and Chilaw over 70 cases.

Anuradhapura topped the list of unnatural offences with 25 cases with Chilaw coming second with 20 cases.

Police also recorded approximately 300 cases of sexual exploitation of children in the first 11 months of the last year with Ratnapura topping the list. Police logged about 300 cases the previous year.

The previous government set up a National Child Protection Authority as a part of the strategy to tackle sexual exploitation of children. A special police unit has been assigned to conduct joint action, a policeman involved in the exercise said, adding that they have been successful in carrying out a series of successful raids over the past several months.