Warrant issued for Pallegama Hemarathana Thero in child abuse incident

Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate Siyapath Sasindu Wickramarathna today (08) ordered the Nittambuwa Police to immediately arrest the Chief Incumbent of Atamasthana, Anuradhapura, Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, and the mother of the relevant girl, on suspicion of involvement in a serious sexual abuse incident of a 15-year-old minor girl. The court also took steps to issue an immediate prohibitory order to the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, preventing Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, who has been named as a suspect in this incident, from traveling abroad.

To obtain these orders, the Authority's Director of Law Enforcement, Attorney-at-Law Ms. Sajeevani Abeyratne, presented facts before the court, acting on the instructions of the Chairperson of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), retired High Court Judge Ms. Inoka Ranasinghe. She revealed that although the Authority had inquired several times, both in writing and verbally, regarding the failure to arrest the monk suspected of being involved in the crime, the police had not responded appropriately.

Due to the slow nature of police investigations, and as justice for the aggrieved girl was being delayed, the National Child Protection Authority had decided to call this case through a special motion. Considering the facts presented therein, the Magistrate granted permission to the Nittambuwa Police to name the Chief Incumbent of Atamasthana and the girl's mother as suspects in this crime, and ordered that both of them be immediately arrested and produced before the court.

Investigations were previously carried out regarding two other suspects in connection with this sexual abuse incident, and the current legal proceedings are being heard before the court under case number 22424/2026 B.