Timeline of events relating to Lokanath’s child molestation case, and decades-long coverup by ISKCON’s highest leadership: the Governing Body Commission.
1990
New Jersey, Lokanath’s Child molestation
Lokanath stayed with a family in NJ and molested their youngest child Satya several times over a week (during that week, Satya told her mom about the abuse).
1990
GBC Resolution
GBC Resolved: “Suspected or confirmed cases of child abuse must be reported to local government authorities for investigation and/or prosecution.” https://gbc.iskcon.org/1990
1992
Mukunda Swami
Satya’s brother-in-law told GBC member Mukunda Swami about the abuse.
1993
Subcommittee
appointed
Instead of reporting abuse to law enforcement, per the GBC’s own Resolutions, the GBC appointed a 7-person subcommittee to investigate Lokanath’s abuse.
1994
Ravindra Svarupa
Ravindra Svarupa pushed the victim for assurances that she would not report the abuse to law enforcement.
1996
Initiations
resumed
Lokanath resumed initiating, after 2.5 year suspension (at this point he had about 400 disciples, he went on to initiate another 5,000 disciples between 1996-2021).
1998
Formation of Child Protection Office (CPO)
ISKCON formed Child Protection Office (CPO) to handle child abuse
2010
Satya’s compelling
public statements
Satya made compelling public statements re-asserting she was abused by Lokanath
2011
“I sexually
abused her.”
Lokanath wrote admission letter in which he stated, “I sexually abused her.”
2012
GBC secretly placed restrictions
GBC secretly placed restrictions on Lokanath, prohibiting him from initiating outside of India
2017
GBC secretly lifts
restrictions
GBC secretly lifted restrictions that had been placed on Lokanath.
1998-2021
CPO significantly
defunded
CPO significantly defunded, from $150,000 (1998) to $10,000 (2021)
April 15, 2021
International
discussion
Confidential documents of Lokanth’s child abuse were shared on Facebook which started an international discussion in the Hare Krishna community.
May 12, 2021
GBC changed its mind
GBC suspended Lokanath pending a CPO investigation, then secretly changed its mind 5 days later with no explanation.
July 14, 2021
GBC cuts out CPO
GBC set up its own panel, cutting out the CPO, to look at Lokanath’s child abuse case to determine if the CPO should handle it (panel was supposed to meet for 60 days).
To date
GBC repeatedly
blocks CPO
To date – this is the only child abuse case that the GBC has repeatedly blocked the CPO from handling.