By Kapila Wijewardene –

Recent data obtained by the investigative group OCCRP shows that nearly 300 Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka were accused of abusing children over just three years. Fewer than 30 were charged. This presents an undeniable crisis for our country.

By contrast, I could find no reported cases in Sri Lanka involving clergy of other faiths over the same period, other than one 21-year-old man described by police as a moulavi. The All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama has rejected that description, stating that he was not a certified moulavi. The National Child Protection Authority should publish comparable figures for all faiths so the public can see the full picture.

Behind these numbers are real cases. Among those reported in recent years:

Alleged sexual abuse

* Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, chief custodian of the Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi in Anuradhapura, was arrested in May 2026 over the alleged sexual abuse of a girl, beginning in 2022 when she was a child. He denies wrongdoing and is on bail. The Malwatte Chapter has suspended him, but activists say charges had still not been framed months after his arrest.

* A monk at the Navatkuli temple in Jaffna was arrested in 2026 over the alleged abuse of a 13-year-old girl who came to the temple to collect water.

* A 25-year-old monk in Kandy was remanded in June 2026 over the alleged abuse of a 15-year-old girl.

* In Payagala, Kalutara, a chief incumbent and other monks were remanded in May 2023 over the alleged abuse of a novice monk.

Other alleged offences

* In April 2026, 22 monks were arrested at Katunayake airport with 112 kg of cannabis and hashish from Thailand. Another monk was later arrested as the alleged organiser.

* Athuraliye Rathana Thero, a former MP, was remanded in 2025 over the alleged abduction and intimidation of a fellow monk in a dispute over a parliamentary seat.

* Ampitiye Sumanarathana Thero was arrested twice, in 2025 and 2026, for allegedly obstructing police and government officers.

* Monks have also been arrested over alleged fraud using ministers’ photos (2026), the theft of an ancient Buddha statue (2024), the Thilini Priyamali financial fraud (2022), comments harming religious coexistence (2023), and a drunken assault in Minuwangoda (2022).

Some readers will say that abuse by clergy happens in every religion, and that is true. But there is an important difference. In Australia and other Western countries, the churches were forced to confront their record, here through the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Most now have child-safe standards, mandatory reporting, working-with-children checks and independent complaint processes. As a result, most cases now reaching our courts concern abuse committed decades ago. Even the Sri Lankan monk convicted in Melbourne last year was tried for offences from the 1990s and early 2000s. In Sri Lanka, the abuse is happening now.

These cases are not isolated incidents. They point to structural vulnerabilities in Sri Lankan monastic life. Unless the Mahanayaka Theras, leading clergy and lay leaders act now to put systemic safeguards in place, public trust in the Buddha Sasana will continue to decline.

To address this constructively, we must examine where Sri Lankan monastic traditions differ from other religious orders:

1. Active political involvement: Clergy of other faiths in Sri Lanka rarely hold party office or seats in Parliament. By contrast, a section of the Buddhist order actively engages in election campaigns, parliamentary politics and partisan disputes. This embroils the clergy in controversy and weakens their role as impartial spiritual leaders.

2. Monastic life and secular higher education: Young monks regularly attend public universities in robes, where many become involved in student union politics and street protests. In most other faiths, candidates complete secular education as laypeople and enter religious training as adults.

3. Child ordination: A significant root cause is the long-standing practice of ordaining young children. A child cannot give informed consent to a lifelong commitment, and once ordained, he lives away from his family under the complete authority of older monks. Most other religious orders require adulthood and personal conviction before formal vows.

Acknowledging these facts is not an attack on the teachings of the Buddha. It is an essential step toward preserving them. To restore faith and protect children, the Sangha Sabhas must introduce independent child-protection protocols, mandatory reporting to police, and clear accountability. They must also stop shielding the accused.