A chief buddhist monk of a temple in Habaraduwa has been arrested on the charge of molesting a female tourist on the premises.
The 81-year-old monk is reported to have offered food and beverages to the 41-year-old tourist from New Zealand on her visit to the buddhist temple. He allegedly invited her to a room in the temple and molested her there.
The tourist reported the incident of sexual assault to Unawatuna Tourist Police and the case was subsequently transferred to Habaraduwa Police. As a part of the ongoing police investigation, she is due to be examined by the Judicial Medical Officer at Karapitiya Hospital.
This incident is one of many violent attacks committed against tourists in Sri Lanka this year alone.
On 6th July 2025, a man allegedly attempted to sexually assault a female tourist at a party at a hotel in Uppuweli, Trincomalee. She informed her friends about the attempted assaulted but when leaving the party, the group were attacked by the same suspect and another individual. According to the Tourist Police Division, the group were rescued by two male tourists and safely escorted back to their hotel.
The incident was reported to Uppuweli Police and the suspect was arrested. He was presented at Trincomalee Magistrate Courts on 7th July and ordered to be held in remand until 21st July. The second suspect is believed to have fled the area and is being searched for by the police.
In May 2025, a 26-year-old Algerian female tourist was allegedly drugged, robbed of her valuables and pushed off a cliff in Ella by a retired police inspector working as a driver. According to the police report, the woman booked was travelling in a van she had booked to travel from Nuwara Eliya to Ella, and was served a fruit drink by the driver which she drank and soon lost consciousness. The suspect was reported to have driven to a secluded area in Ravana Ella, robbed her of her cash and belongings and pushed the unconscious woman down a 30- foot precipice.
The woman regained consciousness and walked several kilometers to Ella police station, whilst injured, to file a complaint about the criminal incident. The suspect was arrested in Nuwara Eliya and identified as a 70-year-old retired police inspector.
Sri Lanka is actively working towards reviving its tourism sector, following years of political instability and economic crisis.
