Reports of child abuse in Sri Lanka have increased steadily over the past three years, with 6,615 cases recorded by August 2026 alone, marking a rise from 5,858 cases reported during the same period in 2025 and 5,725 cases in 2024. Data indicate a seasonal trend, with the highest number of complaints typically occurring in June and July each year, a pattern some experts attribute in part to the psychological effects of high temperatures, such as increased stress and irritability.
Neglect and failure to provide proper care remain the most common types of complaints, followed by child cruelty, including both physical and mental harassment often inflicted by caregivers. Other frequently reported concerns include children not attending school and child sexual abuse. Complaints related to cyber harassment, child labor, and trafficking have also surfaced, reflecting a broad spectrum of abuse issues.
Geographically, Colombo district consistently reports the greatest number of cases, with Gampaha, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, and Anuradhapura following. Officials from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) caution that higher reporting rates in these areas may be due to factors such as population density and greater public awareness of and trust in the NCPA, rather than indicating a proportionally higher incidence of abuse. They emphasize that the true scale of child abuse is likely considerably larger than official figures suggest.
Cyberbullying and threats involving explicit images have emerged as significant concerns in 2026. Lawyer and child rights activist Jerusha Thambiyah notes a troubling increase in child sexual abuse material (CSAM) circulating online, often involving family members such as step-parents and parents, with content sometimes linked to incestuous themes. Thambiyah warns that such material may facilitate trafficking rings and deeper forms of exploitation.
Thambiyah also highlights shortcomings in Sri Lanka’s online violence legislation. Although draft bills aimed at addressing online abuse exist, they have yet to be enacted. She further attributes the rise in CSAM dissemination to the use of generative artificial intelligence, which simplifies content creation, alongside encrypted communication platforms like Signal and Telegram that provide anonymity to perpetrators, thereby exacerbating the challenge.
Under Section 75 of the Penal Code, children older than 12 can be held criminally responsible for acts such as assault, abuse, bullying, and sharing or generating abusive images, including via AI. Sajeewani Abeykoon, Director of Law Enforcement at the NCPA, states that offenders can face probation or be placed in child remand facilities.
Despite these challenges, efforts to combat child abuse are underway. A notable initiative launched by the Southern Province Police Division from 2025 to 2026 targeted vulnerable children in Elpitiya, Galle, Matara, and Tangalle. The project surveyed approximately 7,400 households, identifying 2,836 children as high-risk based on family vulnerabilities and patterns of victimization. Female police officers conducted discreet home visits to assess and address a range of socioeconomic and environmental factors.
The program provided vocational training to over 1,200 families, nutritional aid to nearly 800 children, welfare assistance to more than 370 children, educational support to over 300 children, and self-employment assistance to parents. Funded by police officers and private donations, the project shifted policing from reactive responses to a proactive monitoring framework focused on prevention.
Professor Anusha Edirisinghe, involved in the initiative, reports that over 12 months the program achieved an 11.1% reduction in reported child abuse cases within the targeted areas, signaling potential for broader replication of such preventive approaches.