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Other Buddhist institutions and contexts Buddhist institutions and lineages Colombo / Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka · 2026
Sri Lanka: chief incumbent of Atmasthan temple network charged with sexual assault of a minor
Record class
Context only
Evidence status
Charged
Authority role
See cited record
Organization
No organization assigned
Spiritual nexus
The defendant held the highest monastic authority over the Atmasthan network of sacred sites; press coverage notes prosecution of senior clergy of his rank is itself exceptional given the deference such authority commands in Sri Lanka.
- Guru or spiritual-teacher authority
Evidence structure
Proceedings
2026-05-12 · Arrest and court hearing scheduled
Colombo / Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. Arrest and court hearing scheduled
Primary record
Sources
- Thai PBS (2026) 'พระดัง "ศรีลังกา" ถูกจับ ล่วงละเมิดทางเพศเด็กหญิงอายุต่ำกว่า 18 ปี'. Available at: thaipbs.or.th (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: Ven. Pallegama Hemaratana Thero, chief incumbent overseeing eight sacred Atmasthan sites in Sri Lanka, arrested while hospitalized in Colombo on charges of sexually assaulting a girl under 18; the victim's mother and one other person arrested as accomplices; court hearing scheduled 12 May 2026; travel ban imposed.
Thai PBS (2026) 'พระดัง "ศรีลังกา" ถูกจับ ล่วงละเมิดทางเพศเด็กหญิงอายุต่ำกว่า 18 ปี'. Available at: thaipbs.or.th (Accessed 2026-07-19). English gloss: Ven. Pallegama Hemaratana Thero, chief incumbent overseeing eight sacred Atmasthan sites in Sri Lanka, arrested while hospitalized in Colombo on charges of sexually assaulting a girl under 18; the victim's mother and one other person arrested as accomplices; court hearing scheduled 12 May 2026; travel ban imposed.
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