Sri Lanka, Jan. 29 -- The Court of Appeal upheld a sentence of 10 years of rigorous imprisonment imposed on a Pastor attached to a church at Kottukachchi in the Puttalam District, for raping a 15-year-old girl after developing an acquaintance with her and subsequently inviting her to serve god.

The accused had been indicted before the Puttalam High Court by the Attorney General for committing the offence of rape of a minor, punishable under Section 364(2) of the Penal Code, in relation to incidents alleged to have occurred on or about July 20, 2002 and July 19, 2003.

Following the conclusion of the trial, the High Court in 2025 convicted the accused and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The Court also imposed a fine of...