Senior Monk Arrested Amidst Child Abuse Allegations

Sri Lankan authorities have arrested 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana, a senior Buddhist monk, in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old girl. The monk was taken into custody on Saturday from a private hospital in Colombo where he was receiving treatment, as a criminal investigation progressed. The alleged abuse is reported to have occurred in 2022 at a venerated temple in Anuradhapura. This case is considered the highest-profile involving a local religious leader. Separately, authorities have also remanded other religious figures in connection with different alleged abuse cases involving minors.