Top Sri Lankan Buddhist monk arrested over alleged sex abuse

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COLOMBO: Sri Lankan authorities have arrested Pallegama Hemarathana, a 71-year-old senior Buddhist monk, following allegations of sexual abuse involving an 11-year-old girl in 2022.

The arrest took place on Saturday at a private hospital in Colombo where the monk was seeking treatment. This marks the highest-profile case involving a member of the clergy in the country’s history.

Hemarathana serves as the chief priest of a highly venerated temple in Anuradhapura and is the chief custodian of the sacred Bodhi tree sapling. The victim's mother has also been arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the crime.

Following a travel ban imposed just one day prior, the monk is now set to be presented before a judge to determine further legal action. Hemarathana also oversees eight key temples on a major Buddhist pilgrimage route.