Sri Lankan Buddhist hierarchy suspends senior monk over child abuse allegations

Sri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy has suspended 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana, the chief custodian of the venerated Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, following allegations that he sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022. The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter ordered the suspension pending the conclusion of legal proceedings, describing the move as rare disciplinary action in the religiously conservative nation.

Hemarathana is accused of abusing the child at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple, a site that draws thousands of visitors daily. The temple houses a Ficus plant grown from a sapling of the tree believed to have sheltered the Buddha when he attained enlightenment. The suspension was announced on Saturday, coinciding with Vesak, the national celebration of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death.

Police arrested Hemarathana on May 9 at a private hospital in Colombo, where he had checked in for treatment as the criminal investigation progressed. Authorities confirmed that the victim’s mother was also arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the monk. Hemarathana has since been granted bail but is barred from travelling abroad.

This case represents the highest-profile allegation of child sexual abuse involving a local clergyman in Sri Lanka, with Hemarathana being the most senior monk accused of such a crime. While there have been several prior cases of clergy abusing children in the country, this incident has triggered significant institutional response.

The disciplinary action stands in contrast to other recent incidents involving the priesthood. Last month, 22 monks were arrested at Colombo’s international airport after 110kg of cannabis was found hidden in their bags. Those monks have remained in custody pending prosecution but have not been suspended from the priesthood.