Colombo, September 18:

Sri Lanka’s government has reversed a decision to lower the age of consensual sex for girls from 16 to 13 following widespread criticism, reports said today. Government spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva, who is also the minister of health, told a weekly Cabinet briefing on Friday that the government was planning to lower the age of consent. He gave no reason, but said the proposal was approved “after much debate and a long review.” Under the current law, sexual relations with a girl under 16 are treated as rape irrespective of whether they are consensual, and regardless of the male’s age. But the government reversed its decision after a flurry of telephone calls from incensed citizens following the announcement, The Sunday Island newspaper said. “There is no proposal, whatsoever, to reduce that to 13 or to any other age,” it quoted Dhara Wijayatillake, a secretary in the Ministry of Justice, as saying yesterday.