A senior Buddhist monk accused of child sexual abuse is released on bail in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - A Sri Lankan court on Friday released on bail a senior Buddhist monk who was arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing a minor, in a case that has stirred heated debate in a country where Buddhism is the main religion.

Rev. Pallegama Hemarathana, 71, was arrested earlier this month on allegations of abusing a 14-year-old girl. A court ordered him to be kept in custody for questioning, but he spent his time in a hospital, citing health issues.

He was arrested along with the girl's mother, who was accused of aiding the monk in his actions.

A court in the historic city of Anuradhapura on Friday ordered both released on bail, police said.

Hemarathana is a high profile monk in Sri Lanka, the custodian of eight major ancient Buddhist sites in Anuradhapaura that are venerated by Buddhists around the world.

He has denied any wrongdoing.

More than 70% of Sri Lanka's 22 million people are Buddhists, and monks have a strong influence in the country's political and social life.

The case has evoked sharp debate among Buddhists for and against the cleric.

The activist group Women for Freedom held a silent protest opposite the court when police brought the monk there on Friday.

Hemamali Abeyratne said that instead of standing by the victim, much of society and the authorities have chosen the side of the accused monk.

"We as a society must be sensitive whether we do justice to the child or not," she said.

"The question is not whether the accused is a monk, a school principal or an ordinary member of society, but only whether justice prevails," she added. "We know that a child can become a victim in the hands of any member of this society."

Attorney Mahesh Kotuwella, a member of the legal team representing the monk, argued that non-government organizations and women's right groups harbored "resentment toward the chief monk."

"The NGOs and anti-Buddhist groups act with the intention to provoke the society and ensure the monk is detained for a longer period," he said.

The case will return to the court next month.