Paedophile Somaratana: Follow-Up By Sunday Leader

Orphans In The Care Of A Paedophile Monk

By Nirmala Kannangara / Sunday Leader

The Pahalagama Orphanage, Orphans at work at the Pahalagama Orphanage and Ven. Pahalagama Sri Somaratana Thero convicted of sexual abuse in the UK

Questions have been raised as to why the Child Development and Women’s Welfare Ministry has allowed a Buddhist monk who has been convicted of child abuse in the UK, to run an orphanage in Sri Lanka.
Started in 2009, the Pahalagama Orphanage in Gampaha is run by Ven. Pahalagama Sri Somaratana Thero, the Chief Sanghanayaka of Great Britain and the Chief Incumbent of the Thames Buddhist Viharaya who has now been convicted of child abuse in the UK.
Pahalagama orphanage has 20 inmates – boys between 8 to 16 years of age who are said to be children from broken families or have no parents or guardians to care for them.
“Most of these children are from rural areas and are sent to us by the respective Government Agents,” said Dissanayake, the Matron of the orphanage.