Sri Lankan Buddhist Monk Arrested for Rape and Sexual Abuse

Colombo. Sri Lankan high-ranking Buddhist monk Pallegama Hemarathana Thero has been arrested. Thero has been sent on remand after being arrested on charges of rape and sexual abuse of a 15-year-old girl. He is considered the chief custodian of eight sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka. 

He was arrested immediately after the Sri Lankan child protection authority criticized the police for not arresting him promptly, identifying him as the main suspect in this incident.

So far, Thero has not publicly responded to the allegations. He will appear in court on May 12. The victim girl's mother has been arrested on charges of assisting in the 'abuse'. At the time of arrest, the monk was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.

The court has ordered him to be transferred to Colombo Prison Hospital. Meanwhile, the court has directed the immigration department not to allow Thero to flee the country. The arrest of such a high-ranking monk is being seen as an extraordinary event as Buddhist monks are considered highly respected in society and politically influential in Sri Lanka.