Senior Sri Lankan Monk Pallegama Hemarathana Arrested Over Child Sexual Abuse Allegations

A senior Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka has been arrested on allegations of sexual abuse of a minor girl, police said on Saturday, in a case that has triggered widespread public shock in the island nation.

Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana , 71, the chief priest of a prominent temple and one of the leading religious figures associated with the Atamasthana sacred shrine complex in Anuradhapura, was taken into custody on Friday night after a magistrate’s court issued an arrest warrant against him and the victim’s mother for allegedly aiding and abetting child abuse.

Police said the victim is a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly abused within temple premises in Anuradhapura. The case was initially reported in March as an incident of abduction and illegal detention of a minor. However, investigators later said further evidence pointed to sexual abuse.

Hemarathana was arrested from the emergency unit of a private hospital in Colombo, where he was undergoing treatment at the time. The victim’s mother has also been arrested in connection with the case.

Hemarathana is considered a “top monk” due to his role as chief priest linked to the Atamasthana , a group of eight highly revered Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Anuradhapura that draw thousands of devotees annually and hold deep religious significance in Theravada Buddhism. His position placed him among influential clerical figures within the Buddhist establishment.

There is no official indication of any government post or direct political appointment held by him, though senior monks in Sri Lanka often wield considerable social and informal influence due to their religious authority.

Police said investigations are continuing.