Sri Lankan police arrested a senior Buddhist monk on Saturday in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of an underage girl, officials said, in what authorities describe as the most high-profile clergy case in the country to date. Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was taken into custody at a private hospital in Colombo, where he had sought treatment during the course of the investigation into an alleged assault on an 11-year-old girl in 2022.
The alleged incident is said to have occurred at a well-known temple in Anuradhapura, about 125 miles north of Colombo. Anuradhapura is an ancient city and UNESCO World Heritage Site; Hemarathana serves as chief priest there and is the custodian of a revered bodhi tree sapling linked to the tree under which the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment. He also oversees several highly venerated temples along a major Buddhist pilgrimage route.
Police said the suspect will be presented before a magistrate and that further action will follow the court’s guidance. A local court in Anuradhapura had already imposed a foreign travel ban on the monk. He is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday and has not publicly commented on the accusations.
Authorities also arrested the alleged victim’s mother on charges of aiding and abetting, according to police statements.
The arrest comes amid heightened scrutiny of clergy after other recent incidents: just days earlier, 22 monks were detained at Sri Lanka’s main international airport carrying a record quantity of cannabis, and there have been several well-publicized cases involving Buddhist clerics in the region in recent years. While alleged abuses by clergy are not unprecedented in Sri Lanka, officials and local observers say this case is notable because of the seniority and prominence of the monk involved.
Police and prosecutors will continue their investigation, and the accused will face the judicial process. Authorities have emphasized that the allegations are under investigation and that legal proceedings will determine the outcome.