Ida Carmelitta
Encyclopedia
Ida Carmelitta or Farheen Ida Carmelitta Laila Figerardo was a minority
Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was gang raped and killed on 12 July 1999 and became a cause célèbre
of the Sri Lankan civil war
.
On 12 July 1999 night five men broke into her mother's house, after tying up the occupants proceeded to gang rape and then killed her. The incident happened in the town of Pallimunai, in the Mannar
district. In his report, the coroner
in Mannar documented evidence of rape and sexual violence, including bites on her breasts and lips. She had been shot through her vagina
.
Following her death, Ida's two brothers and sisters eventually fled to a refugee
camp in India
. Her mother initially stayed behind, determined to bring her daughter's killers to justice. However, she also left when Kumar Ponnambalam
, the lawyer handling the case, was killed in Colombo in January 2000. Her murder attracted widespread media attention in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
were identified at an identification parade by witnesses and taken into custody. However, after two key witnesses were threatened and subsequently fled to India, the case is no longer proceeding. The suspects have been released on bail.
Various witnesses testified at hearings held during the year. During the year, investigations conducted into the case found that the weapons used in the killing belonged to army personnel. Forensic experts have confirmed that the bullets used in Ida’s murder correspond to those usually used by the army.
.
His family has a history of violent deaths. Two of the brothers were killed in 1995 by rival Tamil militant groups. His sister, Ida Carmelita, was raped and killed in July 1999 by five men who broke into her mother’s house at night.
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was gang raped and killed on 12 July 1999 and became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
of the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
.
Incident
According to her mother Anthoniya Figerardo, Ida Carmelita at the age of sixteen (16) was coerced into joining the rebel LTTE group as a child soldier for three years. She eventually left the rebel group. She had surrendered to the Sri Lankan police about a month before her murder.On 12 July 1999 night five men broke into her mother's house, after tying up the occupants proceeded to gang rape and then killed her. The incident happened in the town of Pallimunai, in the Mannar
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...
district. In his report, the coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
in Mannar documented evidence of rape and sexual violence, including bites on her breasts and lips. She had been shot through her vagina
Vagina
The vagina is a fibromuscular tubular tract leading from the uterus to the exterior of the body in female placental mammals and marsupials, or to the cloaca in female birds, monotremes, and some reptiles. Female insects and other invertebrates also have a vagina, which is the terminal part of the...
.
Following her death, Ida's two brothers and sisters eventually fled to a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
camp in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Her mother initially stayed behind, determined to bring her daughter's killers to justice. However, she also left when Kumar Ponnambalam
Kumar Ponnambalam
Kumar Ponnambalam was a prominent defence lawyer and a controversial minority Tamil nationalist politician from Sri Lanka...
, the lawyer handling the case, was killed in Colombo in January 2000. Her murder attracted widespread media attention in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
Government investigation
Two of the suspects had been recognized by a neighbor and another by the brother of the victim before he fled to India. A corporal and a soldier of the Sri Lankan ArmySri Lankan Army
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is responsible for land-based military and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972...
were identified at an identification parade by witnesses and taken into custody. However, after two key witnesses were threatened and subsequently fled to India, the case is no longer proceeding. The suspects have been released on bail.
Various witnesses testified at hearings held during the year. During the year, investigations conducted into the case found that the weapons used in the killing belonged to army personnel. Forensic experts have confirmed that the bullets used in Ida’s murder correspond to those usually used by the army.
Related to the incident
Napoleon Figerardo, a brother of Carmelita who was about to be deported to Sri Lanka from an Indian refugee camp was given a reprieve because of the actions of Human Rights groups. According to JRS South Asia reports..
His family has a history of violent deaths. Two of the brothers were killed in 1995 by rival Tamil militant groups. His sister, Ida Carmelita, was raped and killed in July 1999 by five men who broke into her mother’s house at night.
See also
- Krishanti KumaraswamyKrishanti KumaraswamyKrishanti Kumaraswamy, also spelled Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, was a minority Tamil girl in Sri Lanka who was raped and murdered in 7 August 1996 by 6 Sri Lankan Army soldiers; the effort to bring her assailants to justice became a cause celebre as a part of the protest against atrocities committed by...
- Ilayathambi TharsiniIlayathambi TharsiniIlayathamby Tharsini also Tharsini Ilayathamby was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was raped and killed in her home town of Pungudutheevu on December 16, 2005.-The incident:...
- SarathambalSarathambalSarathambal Saravanbavananthatkurukal or better known as Sarathambal was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was gang raped and killed on 28 December 1999. This became an internationally known incident of the Sri Lankan Civil War.-Incident:...
- Murugesapillai KoneswaryMurugesapillai KoneswaryMurugesapillai Koneswary or Koneswary Murugesapillai was a minority Sri Lankan Tamil woman who was raped and killed on 17 May 1997 as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war. The rape and murder received extensive local and international attention....