Prominent Buddhist monk arrested over alleged sexual abuse in Sri Lanka
CBS News • • world
Key Points:
- Sri Lankan authorities arrested Pallegama Hemarathana, a senior Buddhist monk and chief priest of a revered temple in Anuradhapura, for alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl in 2022, marking the highest-profile clergy abuse case in the country.
- The alleged crime occurred at a UNESCO World Heritage Site temple, and the monk was apprehended at a private hospital in Colombo amid the ongoing investigation.
- The victim's mother was also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the monk, and a foreign travel ban has been imposed on Hemarathana ahead of his court appearance scheduled for Tuesday.
- This case follows other recent controversies involving Buddhist monks, including drug-related arrests in Sri Lanka and criminal investigations of monks in Thailand for embezzlement and other serious allegations.