Senior Sri Lankan monk arrested for alleged child sex crimes

A prominent Buddhist monk has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in 2022 at a highly venerated temple in Anuradhapura. The monk, who is also the chief prelate of Colombo and chief of eight highly venerated temples, was taken into custody from a private hospital in Colombo. The victim's mother has also been arrested for aiding and abetting the monk. Authorities cited complaints of delays in his arrest and instructed police to bring him before the court without delay.