Buddhist monk arrested over alleged rape of teen in Sri Lanka
Summary
A high-ranking Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, was arrested for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl. The victim’s mother was also arrested for helping with the abuse, and the monk will appear in court on May 12.Key Facts
- The monk arrested is the chief prelate, responsible for eight sacred Buddhist sites in Sri Lanka.
- He was arrested after the child protection authority urged police to take action.
- The monk has not made any public statements about the charges.
- The victim’s mother was charged with aiding and abetting the abuse and is also in custody.
- At the time of arrest, the monk was receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo.
- A magistrate ordered the monk to be moved to the Colombo prison hospital.
- Immigration authorities were instructed to prevent the monk from leaving the country.
- Arresting such a high-ranking Buddhist monk is rare in Sri Lanka due to their social and political influence.
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