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Sri Lankan authorities have detained a senior Buddhist monk on Saturday over allegations of sexual assault involving an underage girl, marking a significant case within the country’s clergy community. Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was taken into custody at a private hospital in Colombo, where he was receiving treatment during an investigation into an incident from 2022 involving an 11-year-old girl. The alleged abuse reportedly occurred at a revered temple in Anuradhapura, about 125 miles north of Colombo, where Hemarathana serves as the chief priest.
A police spokesperson stated, “We will follow the guidance of the magistrate regarding the next steps,” and added that the monk will soon appear before a judge. Additionally, the victim’s mother has also been detained for assisting and facilitating the monk’s actions.
This development followed a court order from Anuradhapura that banned Hemarathana from traveling abroad. While there have been previous reports of clergy abusing minors in Sri Lanka, this is the most senior monk to be accused so far. Hemarathana is the guardian of a sacred tree believed to have originated from a sapling of the Bodhi tree in India, which is said to have sheltered Buddha upon attaining enlightenment over 2,500 years ago. He also oversees eight highly revered temples on a key Buddhist pilgrimage route.
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