FORMER BUDDHIST MONK SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 13 YEARS IN PRISON AFTER CONVICTION INVOLVING SIX GIRLS

A former senior Buddhist monk in Melbourne, Australia, has been sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing six girls over several years. The judge said the crimes represented a profound betrayal of the trust families had placed in a religious leader.

A Sentence Delivered After a Long Legal Process

Naotunne Vijitha, 71, was sentenced at Victoria’s County Court on October 8, 2026. He had previously been found guilty by a jury in 2025 of multiple child sexual abuse offences.

The court ordered him to serve at least nine years and four months before becoming eligible for parole. Eligibility does not mean automatic release; any decision would be subject to the relevant legal process.

Abuse Took Place Over Several Years

The offences occurred between 1994 and 2002, when Vijitha served as the chief monk at the Dhamma Sarana temple in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs of Springvale and Keysborough.

According to evidence presented in court, the victims were young girls who attended the temple with their families. The jury convicted Vijitha of nine counts of sexual penetration of a child and eight counts of committing an indecent act with a child under 16.

Judge Condemns the Betrayal of Trust

Judge Pardeep Tiwana said Vijitha had held a position of considerable respect within the Sri Lankan Buddhist community. Families had trusted him because of his religious role, but that trust was gravely violated.

The judge said the offences had caused lasting harm to the victims, whose experiences continued to affect them years after the abuse. Several survivors provided victim impact statements describing the emotional consequences of what had happened to them as children.

Victims Describe Lasting Emotional Harm

The sentencing hearing brought the long-term effects of the abuse into focus. The judge referred to the shame, fear and distress experienced by the victims, as well as the difficulty some faced when confronting reminders of their former religious environment.

The case also highlighted how difficult it can be for survivors to come forward when the accused person is someone their families and communities have deeply respected.

What Happens Next?

Vijitha was arrested in 2022 after a victim came forward to police. He denied the allegations during his trial, but the jury found him guilty of the offences for which he was convicted.

The court also heard that he had serious health problems, including dementia. Because he is a Swedish citizen, the possibility of deportation after his prison sentence was raised during proceedings.

The case has drawn attention to the responsibility of institutions and communities to protect children and to take allegations seriously, regardless of the status or reputation of the person accused.

Source: ABC News Australia, October 8, 2026 — reporting by court reporter Kristian Silva.