The news out of Homagama has shaken the country - not because it’s new, but because it’s heartbreakingly familiar. A 15-year-old girl, gang sexually assaulted over six hours, shuttled between houses by boys barely older than herself. It’s more than a headline. It’s another damning indictment of the systems - families, schools, communities - that are supposed to protect our children.

Yes, arrests have been made. Yes, the law is moving. But reacting after the fact isn’t enough. If we want to stop this from happening again - and again - we need to stop asking what happened, and start asking why it keeps happening.

This isn’t about blame. It’s about responsibility. And more importantly, it’s about action. Here’s where we need to start:

1. Teach Real Sex Education - Not Just Reproductive Biology

We need to move beyond shy textbook lessons on menstruation and sperm. Schools must urgently introduce comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education that covers consent, boundaries, healthy relationships, online safety, and gender respect. And no - this isn’t the chapter teachers get to skip. Too often, students are told to "read it at home" while the class awkwardly moves on. That’s not education; that’s avoidance. Kids are already talking about sex - it’s time adults caught up and gave them the tools to do so safely and responsibly.

2. Foster Open Conversations

Silence is dangerous. It creates shame, confusion, and secrecy. Parents, teachers, and community leaders need to make space for real, judgment-free dialogue. Young people should know how to recognise coercion and abuse - and feel confident that if they speak up, they’ll be supported, not blamed.

3. Call Out Toxic Behaviour, Everywhere

It starts small. A joke. A meme. A forwarded video. We brush it off. But it’s in those small moments that attitudes take root - ones that devalue women, excuse violence, and normalise domination. From social media to schoolyards, we need to challenge misogyny in all its forms.

4. Build Support Systems That Actually Work

Too often, victims are left to fend for themselves. Mental health care needs to be accessible, affordable, and destigmatised - especially for teens. Every school should have trained counsellors, and clear, confidential reporting channels for abuse. Systems must be survivor-centred, not focused on saving face.

5. Hold Perpetrators Accountable. No Excuses.

Justice delayed is justice denied. The legal system must act swiftly, decisively, and without leniency. The message must be crystal clear: sexual violence will not be excused, overlooked, or “resolved” quietly. Accountability is not just about punishment - it’s about deterrence and dignity for victims.

What happened in Homagama is horrific. But it is not inevitable. If we allow it to fade from headlines without demanding change, then we are complicit in the silence that lets this cycle continue.

Let this not be another tragedy we mourn and forget. Let it be a line in the sand. One that says: No more. Not to this violence. Not to this silence. Not to this failure to act.

It’s time we showed our young people - all of them - that their safety, dignity, and futures matter. Not just in words, but in action.