Overview
- Hemarathana, 71, who was arrested Saturday at a private Colombo hospital, is under investigation for the alleged 2022 abuse of an 11-year-old at a temple in Anuradhapura.
- Police said he will be brought before the magistrate as court proceedings get underway.
- The Anuradhapura chief magistrate had imposed a foreign travel ban and then ordered the arrest after child protection officials reported delays in action.
- Authorities also arrested the girl's mother on suspicion of aiding and abetting the monk.
- Hemarathana is the chief prelate of Colombo and oversees revered pilgrimage sites, which makes this the most high-profile clergy abuse case in Sri Lanka and feeds broader scrutiny of religious accountability.