The Anuradhapura Special High Court for Child Abuse has sentenced a temple chief monk to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment over a grave sexual offence against a 14-year-old boy, NewsFirst reported.
The court found that the offence had occurred on the very first night the minor arrived at the temple intending to enter monastic life. The incident took place on or around May 10, 2022, in the Thalakolawewa area of Hurigaswewa, within the jurisdiction of the Anuradhapura High Court.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered the convicted monk to pay Rs. 500,000 in compensation to the victim, with a further six months’ imprisonment to apply if the payment is not made. The judge also imposed fines of Rs. 5,000 on the first count and Rs. 15,000 each on the second and third counts, carrying additional four-month terms for each if unpaid. Defence counsel Suranga Mohotti submitted medical reports stating the accused suffered from various health conditions, and the presiding judge ruled that the 30-year term should be served within a period of 10 years.
The sentence lands amid a deepening crisis of conduct within sections of the Buddhist clergy. A day earlier, the Court of Appeal upheld a 10-year sentence against another monk in the Balapitiya child-abuse case, while the Anuradhapura Atamasthanadhipathi faced an arrest order in a separate abuse case earlier this month. The pattern of cases — alongside a major airport narcotics bust implicating monks — has prompted the government to move to amend the Vihara and Devalagam Act and revive a clergy disciplinary body.
