Murder of Seya Sadewmi: Difference between revisions

| birth_date = 16 September 2010<ref name="disappearance">{{cite web|last1=Santiago|first1=Melanie|title=Kotadeniyawa parents appeal for child’schild's safe return as disappearance remains a mystery|url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/09/kotadeniyawa-parents-appeal-for-childs-safe-return-as-disappearance-remains-a-mystery/110405|publisher=NewsFirst|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref>

| disappeared_date = 12 September 2015<ref name="disappearance"/>

| death_date = 12 September 2015 (aged 4)

| body_discovered = 13 September 2015<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dissanayake|first1=Ridma|title=Seya murder: Teen released|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=security/seya-murder-teen-released|publisherwork=Daily News|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref>

'''Seya Sadewmi''' (16 September 2010 – 12 September 2015),<ref name="disappearance"/> was a fivefour-year-old [[Sri Lanka]]n child who was abducted, raped and murdered.<ref>{{cite web|title=5-year-old child strangled and sexually molested: JMO|url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news/32327/5-year-old-child-strangled-and-sexually-molested-jmo|publisher=Ada Derana|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> The girl went missing from her house on 12 September 2015 while sleeping with her mother. After an extensive search of the premises by the [[police K9]] unit, the naked body was discovered on the morning of 13 September 2015 near a canal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Five year old girl’sgirl's body found near canal|url=http://mirrorcitizen.dailymirror.lk/2015/09/14/five-year-old-girls-body-found-near-canal/|publisher=Mirror Citizen|accessdate=3 October 2015|archive-date=7 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007070303/http://mirrorcitizen.dailymirror.lk/2015/09/14/five-year-old-girls-body-found-near-canal/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The body was found 200 meters away from the house. An autopsy revealed that Sadewmi had been sexually assaulted and was strangled to death.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fernando|first1=Lahiru|title=New details of Kotadeniyawa child’schild's death revealed|url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/09/new-details-of-kotadeniyawa-childs-death-revealed/110575|publisher=NewsFirst|accessdate=3 October 2015|archive-date=4 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151004062904/http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/09/new-details-of-kotadeniyawa-childs-death-revealed/110575|url-status=dead}}</ref> Four arrests were made by the Kotadeniyawa police,<ref>{{cite web|title=Seya murder: Police arrest another suspect|url=http://www.adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=32569|publisher=Ada Derana|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> and two of them were later exonerated after a DNA testing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kotadeniyawa child murder: first two suspects released|url=http://adaderana.lk/news.php?nid=32540|publisher=Ada Derana|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> Third suspect, Dinesh Priyashantha subsequently confessed to the crime and was charged with murder and rape. Later he revealed that his brother, Saman Jayalath, [[False confession|manipulated him into confessing]].<ref name="false conviction">{{cite web|last1=Dissanayake|first1=Ridma|title=Kondaya reveals gory details of his alleged crime|url=http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=security/kondaya-reveals-gory-details-his-alleged-crime|publisherwork=Daily News|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> Priyashantha'sOnce brotherarrested, Jayalath concurred with thisPriysantha's allegations and was detained for further investigations.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Santiago|first1=Melanie|title=Seya Sadewmi Killing: Police make another arrest|url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/10/seya-sadewmi-killing-another-arrest-made/112908|publisher=NewsFirst|accessdate=3 October 2015|archive-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003193054/http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/10/seya-sadewmi-killing-another-arrest-made/112908|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Prior to disappearance, Sadewmi was last seen around 8.30pm on 12 September 2015. According to her parents, she was sleeping with her mother at the time, and her father was not home.<ref name="disappearance"/> When he returned home and asked where the girl iswas, her mother presumably told him that she might have gone to sleep in her grandmother's bed. This was not uncommon for her to do.<ref name="suspects">{{cite web|last1=Wipulasena|first1=Aanya|title=News Seya’sSeya's tragedy: The search, the discovery and heartache|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150920/news/seyas-tragedy-the-search-the-discovery-and-heartache-164940.html|publisher=Sunday Times|accessdate=3 October 2015}}</ref> They both had decided not to investigate this before going back to sleep. She was reported missing the next morning and the Kotadeniyawa police called in for an investigation. The police K9 unit and [[Criminal Investigation Department (Sri Lanka)|Criminal Investigation Department]] (CID) later joined the search. It was reported that her clothes were found on the bed where she slept, which rendered K9 unit unable to trace her scent.<ref name="disappearance"/> The police speculated that she may have been abducted while sleeping with the mother.<ref name="disappearance"/> OnIn the evening, Sadewmi's body was found near a canal 200 meters from her home. According to news reports, the body was naked and a piece of clothe was wrapped around the neck.<ref name="found">{{cite web|last1=Santiago|first1=Melanie|title=Body of Kotadeniyawa missing child found; Magisterial inquest held|url=http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/09/body-of-kotadeniyawa-missing-child-found-magisterial-inquest-held/110498|publisher=NewsFirst|accessdate=3 October 2015|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016163853/http://newsfirst.lk/english/2015/09/body-of-kotadeniyawa-missing-child-found-magisterial-inquest-held/110498|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===FalseWrongful convictionarrests===

After the caseinvestigation was handed over to the investigation to CID by the [[Inspector-general of police]] (IGP), Kotadeniyawa police arrested two individuals including a 17-years-old student, under reasonable suspicions.<ref name="arrests">{{cite web|title=Video: Suspect in Seya's murder confesses|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/88611/suspect-in-seya-murder-confesses|publisher=Dailymirror|accessdate=7 October 2015}}</ref> However, they were later exonerated as their DNA samples didn't match those recovered from the crime scene. They alleged that the police officers assaulted and tortured them while in custody.;<ref>{{cite web|last1=Karunanayake|first1=Tony|title=Seya’sSeya's killing: Released persons hospitalised|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/89603/rsons-hospitalised|publisher=Dailymirror|accessdate=7 October 7, 2015}}</ref> Kotadeniyawa police denied these allegations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seya murder: Police tortured and abused the suspects|url=http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-105435-news-detail-seya-murder-police-tortured-and-abused-the-suspects.html|publisher=Ceylontoday|accessdate=7 October 7,2015|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005174054/http://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-105435-news-detail-seya-murder-police-tortured-and-abused-the-suspects.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Police Chief N. K. Illangakoon later ordered an inquiry into alleged human rights violations of the two suspects.<ref>{{cite web|title=Seya case: Police handling of teenage suspect draws fire|url=http://www.sundaytimes.lk/151004/news/seya-case-police-handling-of-teenage-suspect-draws-fire-166760.html|publisher=The Sunday Times|accessdate=7 October 2015}}</ref>

A third suspect, an individual named Dinesh Priyashantha was arrested by the police under suspicions of connection to the murder. After the first two suspects were exonerated, Priyashantha confessed to the murder of Sadewmi. However, he later retracted his confession and claimed that his brother, SamanthaSaman Jayalath, manipulated him into a false confession.<ref name="false conviction"/> After being detained, Jayalath concurred with hisPriyashantha's allegations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kondaya's brother confesses|url=https://www.ceylontoday.lk/16-105684-news-detail-kondayas-brother-confesses.html|publisher=Ceylontoday}}{{Dead link|date=December 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Subsequent DNA testing revealed that Priyashantha's DNA samples doesdo not match with those from the crime scene.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kondaya's DNA deosndoesn't match|url=http://www.dailymirror.lk/90313/kondaya-s-dna-doesn-t-match|publisher=Dailymirror|accessdate=7 October 2015}}</ref>