The Special Police Unit of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) has taken into custody a cleric from a mushroom Christian sect on a complaint of sexual abuse of eight minors.
The suspect who belonged to the New Order Christianity Gathering in Kaluwarippuwa in Katana had allegedly sexually abused eight boys between the age of 12 and 18, a NCPA spokesman said.
He said that the Special Police Unit arrested the Priest following an official complaint made by the Bishop of Mannar. The Bishop had made the complaint to the NCPA Chairman Prof. Harendra de Silva after taking the victims under his protection.
The arrest was made on the night of October 15 by the Special Police Unit with the assistance of neighbours while the suspect was in hiding.
The suspect had rented a house at Kaluwarippuwa where he had been conducting religious activities connected with the New Order.
He is alleged to have invited children to his residence on the pretext of "conducting classes" but employed them in his farm to look after pigs, dogs and other animals.
According to NCPA officers the children were fed with rotten vegetables meant for the animals.
The priest is also alleged to have forced the children to take liquor and also shown them phonographic films before sexually abusing them.
While recording a statement at the NCPA on October 16 the suspect got a sudden heart attack and was admitted to the Jayawardhanapura Hospital. Colombo Magistrate Court No. 3, L. Liyanarachchi who visited the hospital to inquire into the matter discovered that the suspect had got a heart attack after taking an overdose of drugs prescribed for high blood pressure.
Since the suspect's health condition was satisfactory the Magistrate ordered that he be remanded till October 29. He was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital under prison guard.
Further investigations are being conducted by the Acting OIC of the Special Police Unit Sub-Inspector Ms. Indrani.