The Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thero, chief prelate of the Atamasthana (the governing body overseeing eight sacred Buddhist sites in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka's ancient religious capital), has been arrested on allegations of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, with the child's mother also detained for allegedly aiding the abuse. The Anuradhapura Magistrate's Court ordered the arrests after authorities found that police had delayed acting on complaints, and the monk was subsequently released on strict bail conditions including a foreign travel ban. The case has intensified scrutiny of the de facto immunity senior religious figures enjoy in Sri Lanka, and prompted President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to announce plans to reform monastic oversight laws — a significant test for a government that came to power promising accountability and an end to entrenched privilege.