Royal Park victim’s sister expresses concerns

Unfortunately, we now have to prepare ourselves for the worst possible outcome, the pardon of my sister’s murderer

A sister of Swedish national Yvonne, who was killed at the Royal Park Condominium in 2005 expressed her concern over media reports that President Maithripala Sirisena was considering a pardon for her sister’s murderer, Jude Anthony Jayamaha.

DID I KNOW THAT MY SISTER’S MURDERER BEING RELEASED WAS SOMETHING MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE TO FACE SOMEDAY?

President Maithripala Sirisena addressing the 3rd summit of the National Youth Model UN held in Colombo on Sunday said his attention has been drawn towards a request made by Royal Park murder convict Shramantha Jude Anthony Jayamaha’s party seeking a Presidential Pardon.

Publishing a Facebook post, she said she got upset after President considering to give pardon to the murderer of her sister.

She has made the following comments.

Many of you will know my sister through news reports as a 19-yearold Swedish girl (please note, we are also half Sri Lankan through our mother and grew up in Colombo) who was found brutally murdered at the Royal Park Condominium in 2005. For me and many others who knew her, she was full of life and had many dreams she wanted to fulfil. She had a close-knit and loyal group of friends, whom she loved and cared about immensely. She was a fashion student and eager to continue her studies in London, where we met days before her death. My sister and I were very close and since we were little she always had my back.this bond would ultimately be linked to her death, something I’ve had to carry with me since and will never come to terms with.

This moment right now is surreal. Did I know that my sister’s murderer being released was something my family and I could have to face someday? Of course we did, as his family has used power and money in their attempts to get him released, but not for the reasons recently outlined by the President. I wonder how anyone would feel if it was their daughter, sister or family this happened to. The murderer not only destroyed my family but his family too. This was not a one-off. He was known to be violent all his life, at school where he was expelled and at social events when he couldn’t control his jealousy. I experienced this during my brief relationship with him and I recall feeling trapped, scared and helpless. My sister’s murder was not someone losing their patience over a disagreement, it was premeditated. He waited for her outside our apartment though he pretended to me he was going home. During this time he arranged with a friend (who would later change his testimony in court to provide the murderer with an alibi) to be collected at a later time.

Today we live without a daughter and sister. She could have been a mother too.yet all this is overlooked because he is reportedly reformed through acquiring a PHD in prison. Why hasn’t this apparent reformed man ever apologised to my family and I? For nearly 15 years we have fought for justice the formal and right way, and his family has consistently tried to bribe their way out of this.this has got to stop. For those who have taken their money, I want you to know that you’ve accepted blood money and how you’ve managed to live with yourself is beyond my understanding. For those saying my sister was intoxicated, do note that she did not consume alcohol as she was driving that night, it is noted in the official autopsy.that is the type of responsible person she was.

My family and I will never overcome the pain and distress that my sister’s murderer has caused. He showed and continues to show absolutely no remorse for what he has done.to say my sister’s brutal killing has turned our world upside down is an understatement. Everyone who attended her funeral saw a coffin being descended into the ground but along with it, I too went. So did my mother and father. We’ve worked hard to rebuild our lives and here we are, going into 15 years, still fighting for justice. Unfortunately, we now have to prepare ourselves for the worst possible outcome, the pardon of my sister’s murderer, but we also pray that hope and justice will prevail. We will keep focusing on our future, keeping her spirit alive with us always and let a higher power continue this fight.