# CHRONICLES OF MELANCHOLY

## Interview

Children are among the most precious things in the world, but across the globe many are abused and their innocence is used against them. The effects of child abuse are far-reaching and can damage physical health, emotional well-being, social development, and a child's entire life trajectory.

The Stop Child Cruelty Trust

Since 2018, Stop Child Cruelty Trust, led by Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka, has worked to end violence against children and corporal punishment. SCCT helped create the Child Protection Alliance in 2021, introduced Child Protection Ambassadors in 2022, and represented all 5.2 million of Sri Lanka's children at the 42nd session of the UNHRC Universal Periodic Review. On 1 February, SCCT convinced several countries to recommend banning corporal punishment during the Sri Lanka sessions.

SCCT's latest milestone is Chronicles of Melancholy, a historic initiative to safeguard children's rights in Sri Lanka. The project emerged against the backdrop of a child protection crisis, where children continued to be abused and murdered without effective action from the authorities. The Sunday Morning Brunch sat down with Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka to discuss child abuse in Sri Lanka, SCCT's work, and why the book matters.

Child abuse and the Sri Lankan landscape

Physical abuse is the most common form of child abuse in Sri Lanka and globally. Reports to the National Child Protection Authority and the Sri Lanka Police show a steep rise in abuse complaints over the past decade. According to Dr. Wickramanayaka, child abuse has become one of the most serious grave crimes in the country, and the backlog of cases referred to the Attorney General's Department continues to grow.

The article describes how delays in the legal system, suspended sentences, pardons for offenders, and the absence of a public child abuse register all contribute to a culture where children's lives are undervalued and abuse is treated too lightly.

Fighting the good fight

SCCT's focus is to end corporal punishment in Sri Lanka. The national campaign began in 2018, and the Pentagon Proposal became the blueprint for a broader action plan. The proposal calls for a total ban on corporal punishment, implementation of the National Child Protection Policy, regulation of international schools, and the appointment of Child Protection Officers in every school.

SCCT has also been defending children in major abuse cases in state institutions and has launched the Happier and Safer Education initiative, which creates beacon schools as violence-free schools. The Child Protection Alliance works to raise public awareness, address physical abuse, promote judicial reform, and improve children's mental health.

Chronicles of Melancholy

Chronicles of Melancholy is SCCT's newest initiative, developed over several years and delayed by the pandemic. The book shares true stories of abuse survivors in Sinhala, Tamil, and English. One early chapter, Stilled Tears - Faded White Garb, tells the tragic story of 16-year-old Varuni, whose experience of mental and verbal abuse ended in her death.

Dr. Wickramanayake says the book is intended to guide children on how to protect themselves and their friends, to help teachers understand the impact of their actions, and to show parents how to respond when abuse happens. It also aims to remind adults that even simple actions taken in good faith can cause harm if they are not grounded in child protection.

The book launch also tied into Me Unhurt - Stop Child Abuse, an art competition for children aged 12 to 18, with winning work to be featured on the cover of Chronicles of Melancholy.