A 63-year-old pastor has been apprehended on charges of having allegedly sexually molested a group of female children residing at a hostel in Kirulapone.
The suspect was arrested on Monday (Dec 18) by the Women and Children’s Bureau of the Kirulapone Police based on a complaint.
A female student of a prominent school in Wellawatte had informed the school principal in this regard, leading to the arrest of the pastor.
Among the eight girls residing at the hostel, a 23-year-old is employed, while the remaining are school children aged between 11 and 18 years, and six among them are siblings from three families.
Police investigations have found that the pastor had sexually abused five of the children for several years.
The children have been sent for medical examinations, while the pastor was arrested based on information and photographs provided by the victims.
Preliminary investigations have also revealed that the said hostel was attached to a church and was operated without legal registration.
The arrested pastor has been remanded until January 01, 2024. (NewsWire)