Evidence concludes in alleged sexual harassment case

By Lakmal Sooriyagoda

A teacher in charge of sports of a leading boys school in Colombo, has been charged before the Colombo Fort Magistrate for allegedly forcibly kissing the lady music teacher of the same school.

Both the prosecution and defence yesterday concluded their evidence in connection with the case filed against the teacher, who had been charged with sexual harassment after he allegedly kissed the lady teacher without her consent.  

The music teacher had lodged a complaint with the Police that she was sexually harassed by the fellow teacher on or around 28 March 2011.

Giving evidence in connection with the incident, the accused denied the charges levelled against him and told the Court that the complainant had a personal animosity towards him. The accused said that he was the teacher in charge of the school cricket and rugby teams and had won the hearts of the principal and the students of the school.

The sports teacher who gave evidence before the Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage further told that the lady teacher who made a complaint against him had gone abroad with a group of student even without informing to the school principal.

He further said that he provided a list of names of the student who took part in the foreign tour, along with the lady teacher and thereby it turned to a personal animosity. The Magistrate ordered both parties to file written submissions on 13 June.