Can a child molester come to an ISKCON temple?
by Bhagavat das Posted September 7, 2004 My name is Bhagavat Das. I am twice initiated by Srila Prabhupada and I have been around since 1969. My wife Radha and I have also been licensed foster parents for the last 7 years. We have taken care of close to 70 children in our home during that time, many of them physically and sexually abused. My experience has put me in a position of understanding to some extent the plight of the Gurukulis. I deeply sympathize with their dissatisfaction with the the way ISKCON has handled the situation. If ISKCON had followed at least the first example Srila Prabhupada set for us in this regard we would at least have made an important statement to the children that we did not tolerate child abuse. I was in Allahabad in 1977 when Srila Prabhupada was at the Kumbha Mela. During that time one of the first known child molesters was caught in Vrindaban and brought to Allahabad to be judged by Srila Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada curled his lips in disgust and sho