Sri Lanka arrests senior Buddhist monk over alleged abuse of 11-year-old girl

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan police arrested a senior Buddhist monk on Saturday over allegations that he sexually abused an 11-year-old girl, in what authorities described as the highest-profile case involving a member of the clergy in the country.

Police said Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was taken into custody at a private hospital in Colombo, where he had gone for treatment over the weekend while an investigation into the alleged abuse was under way.

According to the authorities, the alleged offence took place in 2022 at a prominent temple in Anuradhapura, about 200 kilometres north of Colombo. Hemarathana serves there as the chief priest.

In a statement, police said, "We will be guided by the magistrate on further action." adding that the monk would soon be produced before a judge.

Authorities also said the girl’s mother had been arrested on allegations of aiding and abetting the monk.

The arrest came a day after a court in Anuradhapura barred Hemarathana from travelling abroad.

Senior religious position

The case has drawn attention because of the monk’s senior standing in Sri Lanka’s Buddhist religious hierarchy. Authorities said the latest arrest involves the most senior monk to face such accusations in the country, although Sri Lanka has seen several cases in the past involving clergy accused of abusing children.

Hemarathana is the chief custodian of a tree believed to have been grown from a sapling of the Bodhi tree in India, under which Buddhists believe the Buddha attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago.

He also heads eight highly revered temples located along a major Buddhist pilgrimage route, underscoring his prominence within the religious establishment.

The allegations against him relate specifically to the abuse of an underage girl, police said. The investigation was continuing, with further action to be determined by the magistrate after the monk is presented in court.

The development marks a significant moment in Sri Lanka, where cases involving abuse allegations against members of the clergy have surfaced before, but none, according to the authorities, have involved a monk of such senior rank.

Police did not provide further details in the statement beyond confirming the arrest, the location where the monk was detained, the alleged victim’s age, and the arrest of the girl’s mother.