Sri Lankan Buddhist Hierarchy Suspends Senior Monk Over Child Sex Abuse Allegation
Sri Lanka’s Buddhist leadership suspended 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana on Saturday after police charged him with sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2022. The monk lost his role as custodian of a sacred ficus at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple while legal proceedings continue.
South China Morning PostSri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy suspended a senior monk on Saturday after authorities charged him with sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2022. The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter stripped 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana of his duties as chief custodian of a venerated ficus at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura.
The tree is believed to descend from the plant under which the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Police arrested Hemarathana on May 9 while he was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo. Authorities said the victim’s mother was also detained on charges of aiding and abetting. Hemarathana was later released on bail, though a court has barred him from leaving the country. The suspension will remain in effect until the conclusion of legal proceedings.
The temple draws thousands of visitors daily.
The disciplinary action is the first time Sri Lanka’s Buddhist leadership has removed a monk of Hemarathana’s rank over child sex abuse allegations. Earlier this year, 22 other monks were arrested at Colombo’s international airport after 110 kilograms of cannabis were discovered in their luggage, marking the largest drug seizure at the facility.
“The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter decided today to suspend Ven. Hemarathana until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him.”
The suspension coincided with Vesak, the Buddhist holiday marking the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death.
Transparency
Clean factual rewrite focused on the substantive event of the suspension and arrest with no loaded verbs, valence skew, or lede misdirection.
The Buddhist hierarchy demonstrated institutional accountability by swiftly suspending one of its highest-ranking members, showing that even venerated religious figures are subject to the rule of law when credible evidence of child abuse emerges.
2 independent outlets report the same core facts. This score blends how many outlets corroborate, their editorial tier, and how closely their facts agree — it measures corroboration, not proof.
Sources framed at 18; our rewrite scored 18 — in line with the sources.
Story details
Related Stories
thehindu.comIran Maintains Sovereignty Over Strait of Hormuz, Demands Asset Release Before Nuclear Concessions
Washington returned a stricter draft agreement to Tehran. Iran said it would not sign until frozen assets are released and rights secured.
freepressjournal.inMissile Strike in Indian Ocean Kills Four Near Sri Lankan Town
A missile struck a vessel off Sri Lanka's southern coast on May 31, 2026, killing four people. The incident occurred during the early phase of the U.S.-Iran conflict and was reported by local authorities.
middleeasteye.netLawmakers Seek to Remove Israel Military Integration Provision From Defense Bill
Two members of Congress plan to strip a section from the annual defense budget that would increase coordination between the U.S. and Israeli militaries. The measure is part of a $1.15 trillion spending bill now moving through committee.