Sri Lanka Arrests Top Monk for Abusing 11-Year-Old Girl

Sri Lankan police arrested a prominent 71-year-old Buddhist monk, Pallegama Hemarathana, on Saturday for the alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl in 2022, in what authorities described as the highest-profile case involving clergy in the country. The arrest occurred at a private hospital in Colombo, where Hemarathana had sought treatment amid an ongoing investigation.

Hemarathana, the chief prelate of Colombo and chief priest of a highly venerated temple in Anuradhapura, about 200 kilometers north of the capital, faces accusations that the abuse took place at that temple. He also serves as chief custodian of eight temples along a key Buddhist pilgrimage route, including one sacred site linked to a sapling from the Bodhi tree under which the Buddha attained enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Police stated that the monk would be presented before a magistrate soon.

Authorities also arrested the victim's mother on charges of aiding and abetting Hemarathana. The detentions followed orders from the chief magistrate in Anuradhapura, prompted by child protection officials who complained of delays in the arrest. A local court there had imposed a foreign travel ban on the monk...