Naotunne Vijitha: Melbourne Buddhist leader jailed 13 years for preying on six young girls

Source : Perth Now news

A once “deeply respected” Buddhist leader has been jailed for the sick sexual abuse of six young girls he met through temples where he was serving.

Naotunne Vijitha, 71, was found guilty in October last year of nine counts of sexual penetration of a child under the age of 16 and eight charges of indecent act with a child under 16 following a jury trial.

He returned before the County Court in Melbourne on Thursday, where he was jailed for 13 years and two months by Judge Pardeep Tiwana.

“You were a spiritual, moral and social anchor to many in the Buddhist community,” the judge said.

“However, the verdicts returned by the jury demonstrate that among that calm and reassuring exterior of religious authority, there was a dark and disturbing side to you.

“You preyed on young innocent girls and abused them for your own perverse sexual gratification.”

The court was told Vijitha arrived in Australia in March 1994 and soon took up a role as chief monk for the Sri Lankan Buddhist community, first at the Springvale temple and later at a new temple in Keysborough.

The Swedish citizen’s offending across both temples occurred between 1994 and 2002, but the disgraced religious figure was only first arrested by police in 2022 after a victim came forward.

The court was told he offended against six young girls, ranging in age from 5 or 6 to 12, at the temple where he lived.

Judge Tiwana said Vijitha was known to offer chocolates and lollies to children at the temple, with victims often detailing how he’d called them into another room with the promise of a sweet treat before abusing them.

“I wish to make plain, that each one of your victims gave, what I found to be, compelling evidence when detailing the vile abuse you subjected them to as young children,” he said.

“At the time you abused these innocent children, you were clearly not concerned with the sheer long-term devastation you were causing them.

“You betrayed this immense trust in the most unexpected and egregious manner. Hidden behind a cloak of religious authority and purity, you abused young girls to satisfy your own perverse sexual gratification.”

The court was told several of the children abused, now adults, had delivered victim impact statements of the devastating impact of his actions.

One victim said that he’d not only violated her body, but “poisoned the faith she was born into”.

“You tarnished what was once her family’s spiritual home. She now lives in fear that she and her family will be branded liars, attention-seekers or temple destroyers for holding you accountable,” the judge said.

The court was told Vijitha suffered from poor health, including advanced dementia, and could be dead in a decade.

He will be eligible for parole after serving nine years and four months of his sentence.