A senior Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka has been stripped of his title and suspended from his position following serious allegations of child abuse, sparking significant controversy.
Photograph: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters
Key Points
- Senior Sri Lankan monk Pallegama Hemarathana stripped of his title amid child abuse allegations.
- The monk was arrested following an investigation into the abuse of a 15-year-old girl.
- The Malwatta chapter of monks suspended Hemarathana pending the conclusion of judicial proceedings.
- The monk headed Atamasthana, a venerated site with significant influence in Sri Lanka.
The powerful Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka on Saturday stripped a senior monk facing charges of child abuse after weeks of relentless pressure.
Pallegama Hemarathana, one of the most prominent Buddhist monks, was on May 14 ordered to be remanded after being arrested on May 9 following an investigation into a case of child sexual abuse.
Details of the Alleged Abuse
The 71-year-old monk is accused of abusing a 15-year-old girl in the temple premises located in the north central capital of Anuradhapura. He, however, spent time in hospital without being transferred to jail until May 22, when he was granted bail.
Criticism and Pressure Mounts
The law enforcement and the Buddhist hierarchy came under criticism for attempts to go slow on the powerful monk and there was relentless pressure from all quarters.
Monk Suspended Pending Investigation
The Malwatta chapter of the monks based in the central town of Kandy on Saturday said it’s working committee met earlier in the day, having summoned the accused monk, and decided to suspend him from his chief’s position pending the conclusion of the ongoing judicial procedure.
Another senior monk has been named to be the acting chief, a release said.
Significance of the Monk’s Position
The monk was heading Atamasthana, the most venerated eight Buddhist shrines, including the Sri Maha Bodhi, the holiest shrine next to the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and has expanding influence on the 74 per cent Buddhist majority. These eight shrines are a world heritage site visited by tens of thousands of Buddhist pilgrims.
His arrest came after weeks of investigations led by the National Child Protection Authority. The child’s mother was also arrested for aiding and abetting child abuse.
Disclaimer: News content is sourced from the stated source. Headlines, summaries, section headers, and images are automatically generated or selected using AI/algorithms and may not always be fully accurate. Readers are advised to refer to the full article for complete context.
