Update: The girl, mother, and Atamasthana monks' three statements on the abuse incident.

The incident of a minor girl being abused, in which the name of the Atamasthanadhipathi Thero, who is currently a subject of intense discussion in the country's society, is involved, is currently under extensive investigation by the police and the Child Protection Authority. This extensive criminal network has been uncovered based on a complaint made by her mother to the Nittambuwa Police regarding a 15-year-old girl residing in the Anuradhapura area, who ran away to the Nittambuwa area with a conductor of an Anuradhapura-Colombo bus.

Acting on the complaint, the police arrested and questioned the conductor and the girl, during which she revealed information about severe sexual abuse incidents she had faced previously.

The girl has stated to the police that she had been sexually abused by two individuals previously, one of whom is a trader at the Dambulla Economic Centre, and the other is the Atamasthanadhipathi Thero. She further alleged that her mother put her in this situation with the intention of obtaining money. She also informed the police that the blood-stained clothes she was wearing at the time of the abuse were buried in a garden.

Following the girl's statement, the police initiated investigations, went to the Anuradhapura area, exhumed the alleged buried clothes, and sent them for DNA testing. Additionally, a crime scene investigation was conducted in the area where the suspected crime is said to have occurred. The girl has also given a statement regarding short messages allegedly sent to her by a suspect monk, and efforts are currently underway to retrieve the relevant phone data through court orders.

Although various opinions are being expressed on social media regarding the non-arrest of the relevant parties in connection with this incident, it is confirmed that there has been no political or external influence on the police or the investigation activities. Since the allegations regarding this incident, which is said to have occurred two years ago, are against a prominent religious leader, making an arrest based solely on an oral statement is legally problematic. If an arrest were made without scientific evidence, it would be considered a violation of fundamental rights, and there would be a risk of legal action against the police. Therefore, the investigators' objective is to corroborate these allegations with strong scientific evidence such as DNA reports and phone data.

A significant challenge to the investigations here has been the girl and her mother changing their statements repeatedly. The mother claims that no such abuse occurred to her daughter, and currently, the mother herself faces charges related to selling her young daughter. Meanwhile, the police have also recorded a statement from the Atamasthanadhipathi Thero, who stated that he only provided financial assistance to the family due to their severe economic difficulties. The mother has also admitted to receiving the said financial assistance. Furthermore, officers at the police post near the temple have stated that they have not observed any suspicious incidents.

Despite these challenges, the investigations have not been halted, and the businessman from Dambulla, who is also accused, is expected to be arrested soon. All these investigative activities are being carried out under the direct supervision of the Nittambuwa Police, Gampaha Children and Women's Bureau, and the National Child Protection Authority. Currently, all relevant complaints, evidence, and information have been forwarded to the Police Legal Division for further legal study.