Senior Sri Lankan monk suspended over child sex abuse allegation

Pallegama Hemarathana is accused of abusing an 11-year-old miss successful a Buddhist temple successful 2022.

Sri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy has suspended a salient elder monk accused of sexually abusing a child, successful the religiously blimpish nation’s highest-profile lawsuit involving a section clergyman.

In uncommon disciplinary action, 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana was stripped of his responsibilities connected Saturday arsenic the main custodian of a highly venerated Ficus works grown from a sapling of a histrion believed to person sheltered the Buddha.

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“The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter decided contiguous to suspend Ven. Hemarathana until the decision of the ineligible proceedings against him,” said a connection issued by the main priests.

Police arrested Hemarathana connected May 9 pursuing allegations helium sexually abused an 11-year-old miss successful 2022 astatine the venerated Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple successful Anuradhapura, 200km (125 miles) northbound of Colombo. Hemarathana was detained during his enactment astatine a backstage infirmary successful the superior Colombo, wherever helium had checked successful for attraction arsenic the transgression probe progressed.

Authorities said the victim’s parent had besides been arrested for aiding and abetting the monk.

Hemarathana has since been granted bail portion a tribunal has barred him from travelling abroad.

The temple draws thousands of radical regular who wage homage astatine the histrion Buddhists judge is intimately connected to the aforesaid Ficus that sheltered the Buddha erstwhile helium attained enlightenment.

Hemarathana’s suspension came connected the aforesaid time Sri Lanka celebrated Vesak, the day of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.

There person been respective cases of clergy abusing children successful Sri Lanka, but Hemarathana is the astir elder monk to beryllium accused of specified a crime.

Last month, 22 monks were arrested astatine Colombo’s planetary airdrome aft 110kg (242lbs) of cannabis was recovered hidden successful their bags, successful what was the biggest cause smuggling find ever successful the facility. The monks person remained successful custody pending prosecution, but person not been suspended from the priesthood.