Monk Above the Law? The Hemarathana Scandal Exposed!
The child abuse allegations against Ven. Pallegama Hemarathana have exposed the toxic reality of institutional impunity in Sri Lanka. It is deeply disturbing to watch the Mahanayakas and the highest echelons of the Buddhist clergy remain silent and completely inactive. By failing to strip him of his prestigious title as Atamasthanadhipathi, the supreme clergy is choosing to protect their institutional brand over vulnerable children. This is a massive moral failure.
When religious leaders weaponize their influence, turn a blind eye to heinous crimes, and allow an accused abuser to hide behind sacred titles, they become complicit in the subversion of justice. Watching an accused individual use a hospital bed to evade arrest, deploy an army of high-priced lawyers, and rely on institutional protection is a blatant mockery of the rule of law.
If the international community wants to understand why accountability repeatedly fails in Sri Lanka, they need look no further than this case. Criminal behavior must not be tolerated under the guise of religious privilege. No robe, no title, and no religious office should ever be used as a shield against criminal accountability. Justice must be blind to religious power.