Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

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Bankei
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Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by Bankei »

Supreme court upholds 50-year jail term for former monk
Thu, 2009-05-07 03:04 — Robyn

Bangkok - Thailand's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 50-year jail sentence for a former Buddhist abbot accused of raping nine underage hill-tribe girls kept in his care.

Chamlong Polseu, 65, once a popular meditation guru who went by the clerical name Pawana Phuttho, was initially sentenced to 160 years in prison for raping and molesting the underage girls, but the jail term was reduced to 50 years.

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Bangkok - Thailand's Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a 50-year jail sentence for a former Buddhist abbot accused of raping nine underage hill-tribe girls kept in his care.

Chamlong Polseu, 65, once a popular meditation guru who went by the clerical name Pawana Phuttho, was initially sentenced to 160 years in prison for raping and molesting the underage girls, but the jail term was reduced to 50 years.

On Thursday the Supreme Count upheld the 50-year jail sentence, which Chamlong had appealed, The Nation online news service reported.

Chamlong was arrested in 1995 after hill-tribe girls living in the dormitory he had built for them in a Buddhist temple accused him of raping and molesting them.

He was defrocked and sentenced to jail.

Six of Chamlong's female followers were also sentenced to jail terms ranging from three to 10 years for complicity in the child abuse case.

Read more: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/ ... F9tnY7Nl&B" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Aparently this person is maintaining he didn't commit the crime and is still living the life of a monk while in jail.
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Bankei
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BlackBird
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by BlackBird »

Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern, except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good. Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this.

Metta
Jack
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

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Mexicali
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by Mexicali »

Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern
Why not? It's in everybody's interest that children aren't sexually abused and conversely that innocent people don't go to jail for non-existent abuse.
except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good
Well, sexual abuse of children is also bad. Hell, I'll even go so far as to say that it's worse than people saying bad things about monks. I'm sure victims of sexual exploitation think so.
Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this.
All true, but it doesn't mean that steps can't be taken to address things when they happen.
"We do not embrace reason at the expense of emotion. We embrace it at the expense of self-deception."
-- Herbert Muschamp
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pink_trike
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by pink_trike »

BlackBird wrote:Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern, except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good. Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this.

Metta
Jack
Imo, what brings the Sangha into disrepute is when concern about the Sangha's reputation seems to be the primary concern, and child rape is dismissed with "Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this." :thinking:
Vision is Mind
Mind is Empty
Emptiness is Clear Light
Clear Light is Union
Union is Great Bliss

- Dawa Gyaltsen

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Disclaimer: I'm a non-religious practitioner of Theravada, Mahayana/Vajrayana, and Tibetan Bon Dzogchen mind-training.
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Mexicali
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by Mexicali »

pink_trike wrote:
BlackBird wrote:Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern, except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good. Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this.

Metta
Jack
Imo, what brings the Sangha into disrepute is when concern about the Sangha's reputation seems to be the primary concern, and child rape is dismissed with "Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this." :thinking:
Yes, well said.
"We do not embrace reason at the expense of emotion. We embrace it at the expense of self-deception."
-- Herbert Muschamp
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Ngawang Drolma.
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by Ngawang Drolma. »

It's in everybody's interest that children aren't sexually abused and conversely that innocent people don't go to jail for non-existent abuse.
:goodpost:
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BlackBird
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by BlackBird »

Mexicali wrote:
Whether or not a man is guilty of a crime is little of our concern
Why not? It's in everybody's interest that children aren't sexually abused and conversely that innocent people don't go to jail for non-existent abuse.
Well unless we've had a thorough study of the case, know all there is to know, and can say for an absolute fact: "This is what happened" then I don't think it's right to pass judgement. I guess this stems from a case which is going on right now in my country of New Zealand, a man from my town is on a retrial for the murder of his entire family. Everyone has an opinion on it, I'm not sure about the public en-mass, but I know that chances are I could never be certain whether he's guilty or not. Hence what I have said above.
Mexicali wrote:
except that it brings the Sangha at large into disrepute which is never good
Well, sexual abuse of children is also bad ...[snip] I'm sure victims of sexual exploitation think so.
I agree.


Mexicali wrote:
Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this.
All true, but it doesn't mean that steps can't be taken to address things when they happen.
What are we doing to address it here?
I am entirely in favour of the authorities taking steps to address things when they happen.
pink_trike wrote: Imo, what brings the Sangha into disrepute is when concern about the Sangha's reputation seems to be the primary concern, and child rape is dismissed with "Alas while there's greed, hatred and ignorance there are always going to be problems like this." :thinking:
My comment was in concern to whether or not the man is guilty. Please don't take my words out of context like this. I do not dismiss child rape with a 'sh*t happens' mentality, as you seem to suggest. However I do have a mentality that these things WILL come to pass while there is hatred, greed and ignorance. I do not say 'because they will come to pass, we can disregard them.'

I would like to know who else seems to think my words bring the Sangha into disrepute, please if you feel it is right - rebuke away.

With metta
Jack.
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

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appicchato
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by appicchato »

BlackBird wrote:I would like to know who else seems to think my words bring the Sangha into disrepute...
Hi Jack,

Chill friend... :smile:

That was just Pink's opinion, and not necessarily everyone else's too...

Your post was fine...keep 'em coming... :thumbsup:
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Fede
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Re: Former Abbot sentanced to 50 years jail for rape

Post by Fede »

Be Mindful people, that unless we are in a person's skin, we can never know precisely what transpires, and precisely what suffering is happening.
My heart and compassion goes out to those people who are physical victims in this situation, and I 'pray' that they might be free from suffering and unhappiness.
My heart goes out to the accused, in the hope that his knowledge of the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha may prove to be a stronger attachment to him, than the one at the root of his current suffering.
And my heart goes out to my fellow members of our Sangha here, that they might feel Universal compassion and loving kindness, irrespective of actions, opinions and sentiments expressed though such an inadequate medium as this.

Hugs to all.
Fede X

:namaste:
"Samsara: The human condition's heartbreaking inability to sustain contentment." Elizabeth Gilbert, 'Eat, Pray, Love'.

Simplify: 17 into 1 WILL go: Mindfulness!

Quieta movere magna merces videbatur. (Sallust, c.86-c.35 BC)
Translation: Just to stir things up seemed a good reward in itself. ;)

I am sooooo happy - How on earth could I be otherwise?! :D


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