Buddhist monk arrested in Sri Lanka over alleged sexual abuse of 11-year-old

A senior Buddhist monk has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl. The 71-year-old Pallegama Hemarathana was arrested at private hospital in Colombo, where he was undergoing treatment. The alleged crime took place in 2022 at a temple, where Hemarathana is the chief priest. The victim's mother has also been arrested for aiding the monk.