Zero Tolerance on the Abuse of Hare Krishna Children

I signed petition because this abuse of children is wrong. But I am saying that abuse of children is a criminal offense and the CPO office must work with local authority to investigate and prosecute criminals. From my study of this condition in ISKCON I have not read that these people have had to face any criminal charges? Why not? Independence of GBC means the only power of CPO will be police power. GBC and gurus never will do the right thing why give them any say or any power? A child has the protection of parents and police and welfare only function of GBC will be to make sure criminal offence and charges are made public and they can only be peon in ISKCON society.

I'm with you

Because I was an abused child Hare Krishna

Many think child abuse in Iskcon is a dark chapter in the distant past. In a navive and complacent manner I assumed that too, until I watched the Cost of Silence. Iskcon as a corporation is to a degree still a closed system, like a big dysfunctional family. We see a lack of a culture of accountability, where greater focus is placed on damage control and PR work, instead of organized and systematic reform. To assume to “protect Srila Prabhupada's movement” through deception and secrecy is a fallacy. Deception always leads to destruction. It is worth a notice that the definition of religious addiction include, magical thinking that God will fix it without serious work on our part; rigid obsessive adherence to rules, codes of ethics, and guidelines (where external spiritual etiquette supercedes human morality); conflict and argumentation with science, medicine, and education; and an attitude of righteous superiority including the denial of one's humanness. Sounds familiar doesn't it? Seeing the protection of children as less important than buildings, and the pattern of protecting the real child abusers while punishing the whistle blowers to save the image of Iskcon, both indicate an imbalanced view and conduct. No doubt, it is human to fail. We all do. That in of itself places no bar against redemption and reform. But as a society we need to recognise that forgiveness and reinstatement of an known abuser in positions of authority and power are two different things. The Child Protective Office in Iskcon has to become more independent of institutional control for greater effectiveness and transparency. We need to grow up as a movement and that starts with honest recognition of the patterns that are unacceptable in the ethical and spiritual legacy of Iskcon.

S.B. 1.8.5 The protection of children gives the human form of life it's best chance to prepare the way of liberty from material bondage. July 30,1972 Letter to Arundhati dasa. These children are given to us by Krishna, they are Vaisnavas and we must be very careful to protect them. These are not ordinary children, they are Vaikuntha children, and we are very fortunate we can give them chance to advance further in Krishna Consciousness. That is very great responsibility,do not neglect it or be confused. Sanaka Prabhu, thank you. May Srila Prabhupada and Lord Sri Krsna bless you millions of times over.

Very disappointing, I thought child abuse was a thing of the past and that it was being managed within ISKCON.

Strengthen the CPO!

I am signing this in hope that truthfulness and high sense of other moral values will win at the end of the day.

It beggars belief that we are still talking about this since the Turley case ..They brushed it away then with the hope that it would be buried - It wont - GBC WAKE UP - give this society that you have been entrusted with some credibility - You cannot and must not police yourselves . An independent CPO is the minimum.

morals? where?

“Violators cannot live with the truth: survivors cannot live without it. There are those who still, once again, are poised to invalidate and deny us. If we don't assert our truth, it may again be relegated to fantasy. But the truth won't go away. It will keep surfacing until it is recognized. Truth will outlast any campaigns mounted against it, no matter how mighty, clever, or long. It is invincible. It's only a matter of which generation is willing to face it and, in so doing, protect future generations from ritual abuse.” - Chrystine Oksana, Safe Passage to Healing.

horrible. this must be punished and stopped. the duplicity and hypocricy of the movement has always been vast, offending and hurting kids and protecting the obusers is a patala loca entrance ticket for sure. i wish all pedofiles to get future and now as they deserve. atheistic, develish and demoniac beings wearing robes of so called sadhus have been predicted and warrned by srila Prabhupad.

Thank you for caring about the vulnerable, Sanaka.

I agree that an independent body that is transparent and is accountable needs to be put in place and that is not dictated by GBC. I have been a victim at Mayapur Gurukul and am not impressed that abuse is still going on in Gurukula. I thought that I was the guinea pig and that abuse would be stopped.

Hope we could help in anyway possible

I am deeply moved by Sanaka Rsi's film!

Reform is of the TOPPERMOST importance RIGHT HERE!! RIGHT NOW!!!!!

I'm by Kŕsńä's children...!

We have to put an end to this...paying the cost to be silent

Time to make big changes... security of our kids is the priority, not the reports of million books distributed.