Prof. M. S. L. Salgado Memorial Oration

Conducted by the Medico Legal Society

First Oration

Second Oration

Third Oration

Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Sri Lanka Interdisciplinary, Intersectional and Integrated Perspectives  by  Maithree Wickramasinghe Professor of English University of Kelaniya 16th February 2024.

(Only the first part of the Oration about Dr. Salgado is reproduced here )

"Thank you for inviting me to deliver the Professor Lakshman Salgado Oration this year. It is, indeed, a great privilege and of course, a singular pleasure to address this distinguished gathering – of academics, professionals, public service officers, members and invitees of the Medico-Legal Society of Sri Lanka.

Professor Lakshman Salgado – Consultant JMO Galle; Chief Judicial Medical Officer; Professor of Forensic Medicine; Chairperson of the Board of Study in Forensic Medicine; Expert Witness; President of the Medico-Legal Society; the President of the Sri Lanka Medical Library; President of Indo Pacific Association of Law Medicine and Science (INPALMS); Member and Chair of numerous committees including that of amending the Penal code with regard to Grievous Hurt, and law reform pertaining to the offence of committing miscarriage; Husband; Father; Friend; Colleague; and Mentor.

I could go on, but given the introductory video dedicated to the life, achievements, and contributions of Prof Luxshman Salgado shown earlier, I will confine my homage to him vis-a-vis the topic at hand. Unfortunately, I did not have the honour of meeting Professor Lakshman Salgado during his lifetime. However, your invitation prompted me to research this personage of great integrity, pioneering professionalism, and scholarly distinction – at some length. Therefore, most of my knowledge of Prof Salgado come from print and paper (and comments from a couple of Prof Salgado’s friends and colleagues).

From these accounts, Professor Salgado seems to have been an individual driven fundamentally by a sense of ethics; professional and social responsibility; and a great deal of empathy, above and beyond his profession. In turn, he seems to have evoked a bounty of love, respect, and a great deal of devotion from his colleagues, friends, and mentees, who speak and write of his friendship, consideration, and generosity of spirit. In an era when political and social influencing has become a norm (subservient to the integrity of one’s conscience and professionalism), it is to Professor Salgado’s credit that he remained completely un-swayed by socio-political prompting; in fact, he often went so far as to take professional precautions to circumvent and defy such interventions.

For instance, in the case of the Kuttimani assault and murder in the Welikada prison, when Professor Salgado had been coerced to amend his forensic report by interested parties, he had speedily dispatched a copy of his findings to the eminent British forensic pathologist Prof. Bernard Knight with the request that he publish it in the event of Prof. Salgado’s untimely demise. In another similar case, when Prof Salgado requested the body of a man who had died in police custody (in Wallasmulla) to be brought to Galle for the post-mortem, the police concerned had refused, and complained to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) who, in turn, had informed the very powerful Minister of Justice at the time. When the minister concerned had phoned Professor Salgado and exerted pressure on him to go to Walasmulla for the post-mortem, he had categorically refused to do so - provoking the ire of this politician.

In the words of Dr. Senerath Colombage, who had been one of his postgraduate trainees, cited by the journalist, Kumdini Hettiarchchi (2019) in one of her articles – (I quote)

“Of particular note is the esteem with which he was held as an expert witness by the judiciary, as well as both the prosecution and the defence lawyers who relied heavily on his unbiased, unwavering and scientifically formulated evidence”.

Several newspaper articles refer to how Prof Salgado’s forensic work was able to reveal the truth (I must confess that I am a little diffident to use the word truth in this postmodern, post-truth world that we are compelled to live in…nevertheless), the truth in a homicide-suicide – in Moratuwa - of a reputed couple in the garment industry. What had previously been considered a case of a husband murdering his wife and committing suicide thereafter turned out to be one of a wife murdering her husband and committing suicide as per Professor Salgado’s findings.

If I am to speculate, then, it is quite possible that dominant and stereotypical perceptions of gendered characteristics and behaviours may have led to the initial understanding of the crime as one of men’s aggression and women’s victimisation. Indeed it is to Professor Salgado’s credit that he was able to apply his superior forensic knowledge, skills, and experience – independently, without allowing presumptions or prejudices about gender to taint or distract him from his conclusions.

On this topic, Professor Salgado’s CV details an important paper on the “Patterns of Injuries seen in Deaths due to Battering”, in 1986. Clearly, this has direct bearing on cases of sexual and gender based violence. I am assuming that it was his vast forensic knowledge and experience in these matters that led Prof. Salgado to initiate some key administrative changes in medical-legal processes. This includes the expansion and formalisation of the Medico-Legal Examination Form used for patients who have been subjected to assault, accidents, and abuse. As per international standards, the form now prompts for a greater amount of detail relating to the history of the patient as well as close examinations of recent injuries, healing wounds, and scars from repeated violence. When necessary, the forms are to be supported by photographic documentation of wounds and scars with the special consent of the victim. Such information then is vital evidence when it comes to the types, extent, and in some instances, the recurrence, if not, escalation of sexual and gender based violence

Let us all salute Professor Luxshman Salgado for a life lived with honour, valour, and devotion to his family, profession, and country."

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