USAID partners with Sri Lanka

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Health Ministry and Justice Ministry, launched its Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) programme with a roundtable discussion in Colombo on March 12.

The SAFE programme aims to increase prosecution of sexual crimes through improved response to victims, better evidence collection and stronger coordination with local authorities.

It will help decrease incidence of sexual assault and abuse through successful prosecution of offenders. Through USAID, the development arm of the US embassy in Colombo, the SAFE programme provides evidence collection kits and specialised professional training on collecting forensic evidence from sexual assault victims.

It also supports university forensic departments and provides grants to partner organisations and communities with a focus on the North and East.

More than 50 experts from across Sri Lanka, specialising in forensics, law, medicine, curriculum development and advocacy, attended the forum.