Head monk sexually abused children as young as four, court finds

The head monk of a Buddhist temple has been found guilty of sexually abusing children aged as young as four.

Naotunne Vijitha, 70, faced a four-week County Court trial in Melbourne after he pleaded not guilty to 19 historical child sexual offences.

Buddhist monk Naotunne Vijitha has been found guilty of sexual offences.Credit: AAPIMAGE

He was accused of abusing six girls aged between four and 12 inside his living Buddhist temple quarters, a prayer room and at Sunday school.

Prosecutors claimed Vijitha’s abuse started after he moved to Melbourne from overseas to become head monk of the Dhamma Sarana Buddhist temple at Springvale in 1994.

The abuse continued after the temple moved to Keysborough in 2000.

The victims, who are now adults, all gave evidence to the jury in their trial, as did their relatives and friends.

Vijitha’s barrister Nick Papas, KC, told the jury to set aside emotion and remember the allegations were from 25 or 30 years ago, so they must question their reliability and accuracy.

“Some of the events are so improbable as to stretch any grounds of credulity,” he said.

Jurors retired to commence their deliberations on October 23 and returned on Thursday with a guilty verdict to 17 of the 19 charges.

He was acquitted on a single charge of indecent act with a child aged under 16, while the jury will continue deliberating on a separate indecent act offence.

Judge Pardeep Tiwana advised the jurors he would accept a majority verdict, instead of a unanimous one, on the remaining charge.

The jury will continue their deliberations on Friday morning.

AAP

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