Sri Lanka's Buddhist hierarchy suspended senior monk Pallegama Hemarathana on May 30, 2026, amid allegations he sexually abused an 11-year-old girl in 2022 [1, 2]. The 71-year-old was stripped of his role as chief custodian of the sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi tree in Anuradhapura, about 200 kilometers north of Colombo [1, 3, 2]. The tree is believed to grow from a sapling of the original fig tree that sheltered the Buddha [1, 3, 2].
The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter said, "The Council of Monks of the Malwatte Chapter decided today to suspend Ven. Hemarathana until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against him" [1]. Hemarathana, the most senior monk ever accused in a child sexual abuse case in Sri Lanka, was arrested by police on May 9, 2026, at a private hospital in Colombo where he was receiving treatment [1, 3, 2, 4].
The alleged abuse took place at the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi temple in Anuradhapura in 2022 [1, 3, 2]. Hemarathana was granted bail but has been barred by the court from leaving the country [1, 3, 2]. Authorities also arrested the victim's mother for aiding or abetting the alleged offense; she remains in custody [2, 4].
In a separate incident in April 2026, 22 monks were arrested at Colombo airport for possessing 110 kilograms of cannabis but were not suspended from their duties [1, 2, 5].
The case against Pallegama Hemarathana remains pending, with legal proceedings ongoing as of today, June 2, 2026 [1, 2].
