Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction of a Buddhist monk sentenced to 10 years in prison for grave sexual abuse, ruling that the teenage complainant’s evidence was “unreliable” due to critical inconsistencies.
Seethawaka Soratha Thero had been found guilty by the High Court of Avissawella of abusing a 13-year-old boy inside a temple living quarters in March 2016.
However, a two-judge appellate bench ruled on Friday that the conviction could not stand, citing significant shifts in the witness’s account of how the alleged assault took place.
The case against the monk rested heavily on the testimony of the boy, who claimed he was invited inside the temple premises while walking past. According to his trial testimony, the monk asked him to apply oil to his legs and genitals.
But during the appeal hearing, the monk’s legal team pointed to substantial contradictions between the boy’s court testimony and his initial statements given to both the police and the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) shortly after the incident.
The court held that because the complainant could not consistently recall the fundamental pretext of the incident, it cast doubt on the reliability of the entire narrative.
Citing legal precedent, the court reaffirmed that a conviction cannot safely be based on the testimony of a witness who provides conflicting versions of the same event at different times.
The Court of Appeal set aside the conviction, the 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence, and the order to pay compensation. The registrar has been instructed to transmit the judgment to the Avissawella High Court for immediate compliance. (Newswire)