Sri Lanka's Top Monk Suspended over Alleged Child Sex Abuse
The Council of Monks suspended Pallegama Hemarathana until legal proceedings end after police said he abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022.
- On Saturday, May 30, 2026, the Malwatte Chapter suspended senior monk Pallegama Hemarathana from his role as chief custodian of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi shrine following child abuse allegations.
- Police arrested Hemarathana on May 9 over allegations that he sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022 at the temple in Anuradhapura, 200km north of Colombo.
- Authorities also arrested the victim's mother for allegedly aiding the abuse; Hemarathana has been granted bail while a court barred him from traveling abroad.
- The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter stated, "The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter decided today to suspend Ven. Hemarathana until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him."
- This high-profile case has shocked the religiously conservative nation, drawing attention to abuse allegations involving influential figures while the working committee appointed an acting chief to oversee the shrine.
18 Articles
18 Articles
The case of Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, 71 years old, among the most influential Buddhist monks, shakes the country. Arrested on May 9 and then released, it is suspended from the roles until the end of legal proceedings. Protests in different districts: demand equal law for all, thorough investigation and protection of the victim. Authority for the protection of childhood: in three years about 300 monks accused of abuse.
Malay Mail
AlKhaleej TodaySri Lanka suspends senior monk accused of child abuse, stripped of sacred Bodhi tree custodianship
COLOMBO, May 30 — Sri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy suspended on Saturday a senior monk accused of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl, in a high-profile case that has shocked the religiously conservative nation.In a rare disciplinary move, 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana was stripped of his responsibilities as the chief custodian of a highly venerated ficus grown from a sapling of a tree believed to have sheltered the Buddha.“The Council of Mon…
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