The most important aspects to this issue are the healing required by the victims, and to ensure that there are no further victims. Unfortunately, there is little that this website can do to help the healing process except to try to tell the truth. Also, we cannot prevent further victims, as, according to Elan Vital, Jagdeo disappeared when confronted with the allegations in 1999. Sadly, we do know that he still had access to children until his disappearance.

We do not know how many victims there are. We do know that there could have been fewer had those responsible taken action earlier. In the culture that Maharaji created, Maharaji had power and authority over his devotees. Had he known, he certainly could have taken action to stop Jagdeo.

So, the question is, did Maharaji know?

What is the evidence? Susan says that she told Randy Prouty in 1977, who, according to Susan, assured her that he would tell Maharaji. Susan also says she told Judy Osborne in the early 80s and that Judy reported back that Maharaji was glad it wasn't a new incident. 'A's father, who until recently still believed and trusted Maharaji, says that he told Gurucharnanand sometime in the 80s. There are also reports of meetings of senior followers of Maharaji dicussing the issue long before the victims came forward, as well as emails confirming that such discussions took place.

In view of these reports, is it likely that Maharaji was kept in the dark?

For Maharaji not to know, either Susan, or both Randy and Judy, would have to be lying. Also, it's very unlikely that such a senior figure as Gurucharnanand would not have told Maharaji.

It is also clear that Elan Vital believe the allegations, as they have reported on their website that DUO, India, had taken the rather drastic step of issuing a writ against Jagdeo.

Also, according to Elan Vital's account, neither Randy, Judy, nor Gurucharnanand can remember being told about Jagdeo. Think about this - if you worked in a organisation in a position of responsibility, and someone tells you that another senior person in that organisation was abusing children, is this the sort of thing you would forget? This would be a tragic, but landmark, event in your time in the organisation. If you had no knowledge of being told, you would say it never happened. You would NOT say you couldn't remember! And for this implausible loss of memory to happen to three people is, in my view, frankly absurd. I therefore believe that they are unwilling to tell the truth out of deeply ingrained, but misplaced, loyalty to their Master, Prem Rawat.

I therefore state, that, in my opinion, Prem Rawat, a.k.a. Maharaji, is guilty of covering up reports of sexual abuse of children, and is guilty of protecting a paedophile, Jagdeo Upadhaya, over a period of over 20 years.

John Brauns
webmaster www.ex-premie.org


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Correspondence with EV
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