Buddhists! Wake Up To Protect Novice Monks!!
By Tiran Kumara Bangagamaarachchi –June 11, 2016
Tiran Kumara
It was heard last week that a novice monk had been sexually assaulted and admitted to the Matara general hospital. But the temple, the hospital, the police and all other responsible authorities took very good care to cover up the incident. Newspapers that usually sensationalize the incidents of sexual assaults on women and children were totally silent on this act of violence. Why?
Perhaps, it is better for the young monk’s anonymity not to get into a media uproar. Yet, total silent is not healthy either. While the Buddhist temples are known to restrain and tame sexual desire, there are also numerous stories about sexual misconduct at temples and their environs. Unless those ‘misconducts’ reach the point where the victims are required to hospitalize, such incidents get hidden behind the loud sounds of “sadu” in ritual chanting. The criminals hidden under yellow robes continue to find the safety of those sacred robes.
One exits the Southern Express Way at its end at Matara, to little village called “Godagama” in which the temple in question is located. The temple is Paththarama. This monastery, to be sure, is not responsible for a shameless crime committed by two monks and a layman. The abbot and the other monks residing at the temple should not be held exclusively responsible for this. Yet, incidents of this nature that routinely take place bring so much disgrace upon Buddhist temples. Such criminal acts must not be covered up by the sound of ‘Saadu’, the ritual chanting. Sin is sin no matter where it happens.
Story of the Hospital
The novice monk, 14, was violently raped and a hospitalization could not be avoided. On May 16th he was brought to the Matara general hospital. The doctor at outpatient unit diagnosed that the young monk had been sexually assaulted. Since he was referred to the Unit on sex-related illnesses, the hospitalization was temporally avoided. An important medical officer at the hospital has his ‘private practice’ joint in front of the temple, Paththaramaya, and it is quite natural that he wanted to ‘help’ the temple. That was another reason as to why the young monk was not admitted to the hospital right away on the first day.
Even though the young monk was sent back to the temple, there was nothing the temple could do. Even at the risk of being ashamed, the monk was eventually admitted to the hospital. Then, the news reached the ear of the monk’s mother.
The Mother’s Story
“This is my elder son. I have two other children. My husband does not live with us. It is difficult for me to raise three children all by myself. That is why I gave my son away to the temple. I thought he would be fed well and educated. But a mother cannot bear what has happened to him.”
“I was told by the temple that my son was in the hospital but didn’t tell why. That was a Sunday. May 22nd. I went to the hospital on that very day. What had happened to him was something difficult to talk about and also to look at. My poor child! Three people are involved in this crime.”
“I told the police about this. But the police took three days to record my complaint. The chief monk at the temple pleaded me not to make the incident public. He said he would kill himself if I did. It was I who should commit suicide. Anyway, when they couldn’t avoid it any longer they[accused] handed themselves to the police on May 29th. They had been remanded by the courts. On June 6th, they were brought to the courts again. We are poor people. We cannot fight legal battles with powerful people. But my child needs justice from the courts because we are powerless people.”
