Six women have delivered victim impact statements in a Melbourne court, confronting a senior Sri Lankan Buddhist monk found guilty of abusing them as children.
Naotunne Vijitha, 71, faces a lengthy prison sentence after a jury convicted him on 17 counts of child sexual abuse. The offences occurred between 1994 and the early 2000s while he served as head monk at the Dhamma Sarana temples in Springvale and Keysborough, in Melbourne’s south-east.
During a pre-sentencing hearing on Monday, the victims — who were aged between four and twelve at the time — described Vijitha as a “monster” who used his spiritual authority to exploit their trust, leaving them with lifelong trauma. Prosecutors described his actions as brazen, noting that he often abused the children while their parents were nearby at the temple.
Vijitha maintains his innocence and pleaded not guilty to all charges during the trial. His defence team argued that a standard prison term would be exceptionally harsh given his age, failing health and a recent diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, and submitted that public awareness of the case would neutralise any risk to the community upon his eventual release.
Judge Jacinta Forbes AM deferred sentencing to a later date. Vijitha remains in custody.
