The Sri Lankan head monk of a Buddhist temple in Melbourne is behind bars after being convicted of 17 child sexual abuse charges following a four-week trial.
Naotunne Vijitha, 70, pleaded not guilty to nine counts of sexual penetration of a child and 10 counts of committing an indecent act with a child in the County Court, where Judge Pardeep Tiwana told the jurors they had to accommodate the accused’s religious fasting rituals.
On Thursday jurors returned guilty verdicts to 17 of the 19 charges, which related to six girls who Vijitha sexually assaulted at the Dhamma Sarana temple in Springvale and Keysborough between 1994 and 2002 while they were aged between four and 12.
Then on Friday the jury returned a majority not guilty verdict on one indecent act charge, and Vijitha was acquitted of a separate indecent act charge, the Australian Associated Press reported.
Judge Tiwana remanded the monk in custody to face a pre-sentencing hearing in December, and told defence barrister Nick Papas KC the witnesses had been compelling and the case against Vijitha strong.
During the trial Mr Papas asked the jury to question the reliability and accuracy of the allegations as they were from 25 to 30 years ago, and to set aside emotion, saying “some of the events are so improbable as to stretch any grounds of credulity”.
The victims, now aged in their 30s, all gave evidence during the trial, as did friends and relatives.
Vijitha, who listened to proceedings with the help of a Sinhalese interpreter while dressed in orange and red robes, a red beanie and sandals, came to Australia to head up the temple in 1994 and held Sunday school classes.
On the first day of the trial Judge Tiwana told the 14 jurors there would be a break at 11.30am daily to allow Vijitha to have his final meal before fasting from midday to 6am.
Header image: Naotunne Vijitha (Dhamma Sarana Buddhist Temple).
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