3 weeks ago
1
Sri Lankan authorities arrested a elder Buddhist monk connected Saturday (May 9, 2026) for the alleged intersexual maltreatment of an underage girl, constabulary said, marking the highest-profile lawsuit involving clergy successful the country.
Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was arrested astatine a backstage infirmary successful the superior Colombo, wherever helium had sought attraction implicit the play amid an probe into the alleged maltreatment of the 11-year-old miss successful 2022.
The transgression is alleged to person taken spot astatine a highly venerated temple successful Anuradhapura, astir 200 kilometres (125 miles) northbound of Colombo, wherever Hemarathana is the main priest.
"We volition beryllium guided by the magistrate connected further action," a constabulary connection said Saturday (May 9). The monk volition soon beryllium presented earlier a judge.
Authorities added that the victim's parent has besides been arrested for aiding and abetting the monk. The improvement comes a time aft a section tribunal successful Anuradhapura imposed a overseas question prohibition connected the monk.
There person been respective cases of clergy abusing children successful Sri Lanka, but the latest apprehension involves the astir elder monk to beryllium accused of specified a crime.
The 71-year-old is the main custodian of a histrion believed to person been grown from a sapling of the Bodhi histrion successful India that sheltered the Buddha erstwhile helium attained enlightenment much than 2,500 years ago. He is besides the main of 8 highly venerated temples that are connected a cardinal Buddhist pilgrim route.
