Can the Australian movement survive the fallout?
By Sushi Das. They have been a fixture around Melbourne’s city streets for so many years, dancing and chanting in their saffron robes, collecting donations and spreading their patchouli-scented message of peace, love and understanding. But the Hare Krishnas, the worldwide religious movement, is now embroiled in a multi-million dollar lawsuit over one of the most heinous crimes: child sex abuse. And the details of the alleged crimes, including rape, torture and child slave labour, are horrific. Ironically, the movement that shunned material wealth and consumerism will now have to use its considerable business acumen to stay afloat. For the organisation is staring at bankruptcy and Hare Krishnas around the world are wondering what this means for the future of their faith. The $US400 million ($A616.6 million) lawsuit against the Hare Krishnas in America alleges that children between the ages of three and 18 were sexually abused or mistreated at American and Indian Hare Krishna ashram-base
