Senior Sri Lankan monk suspended over child sex abuse allegation
A senior Sri Lankan monk has been suspended following allegations of child sexual abuse. Pallegama Hemarathana is accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl at a Buddhist temple in 2022. His suspension marks a significant disciplinary action within the Buddhist hierarchy in Sri Lanka.
- ▪Pallegama Hemarathana was arrested on May 9 after allegations surfaced regarding the abuse of a young girl.
- ▪He has been suspended by the Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter until legal proceedings conclude.
- ▪The victim's mother was also arrested for allegedly aiding the monk in the abuse.
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News|CrimeSenior Sri Lankan monk suspended over child sex abuse allegationPallegama Hemarathana is accused of abusing an 11-year-old girl in a Buddhist temple in 2022.ListenListen (2 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoSri Lankan authorities arrested senior Buddhist monk Pallegama Hemarathana for the alleged sexual abuse of a young girl [File: Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP]By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 30 May 202630 May 2026Sri Lanka’s Buddhist hierarchy has suspended a prominent senior monk accused of sexually abusing a child, in the religiously conservative nation’s highest-profile case involving a local clergyman.In rare disciplinary action, 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana was stripped of his…
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