Compiled by Sunanda Deshapriya
Arrest of the Former Chief Prelate and Custodian of the Atamasthana On 09 May 2026, Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, the 71-year-old Chief Prelate and custodian of the Atamasthana (the eight sacred Buddhist sites) in Anuradhapura, was arrested over allegations of the repeated rape and sexual abuse of a minor girl. According to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), the alleged abuse began in 2022 wh…
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