Sri Lankan Authorities Arrest Senior Buddhist Monk Over Alleged Sex Abuse

Sri Lankan authorities arrested Pallegama Hemarathana, a 71-year-old senior Buddhist monk, on Saturday for the alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl in 2022. The arrest took place at a private hospital in Colombo, where Hemarathana had sought treatment amid an investigation into the alleged abuse, which occurred at a temple in Anuradhapura, approximately 200 kilometers north of Colombo.

The monk is the chief priest of the temple and the chief custodian of a tree believed to have been grown from a sapling of the Bodhi tree in India.

The victim's mother has also been arrested for aiding and abetting the monk, according to authorities.

The development comes a day after a local court in Anuradhapura imposed a foreign travel ban on the monk. The case marks the highest-profile arrest of a clergy member in Sri Lanka for alleged sex abuse.

The monk will soon be presented before a judge, and authorities say they will be guided by the magistrate on further action. The court's decision on the case is expected to be announced in the coming days.