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Nirshan Perera in Texas
A $400 million lawsuit against the Hare Krishna movement, alleging horrific and widespread incidents of child abuse in the group's gurukulas, was abruptly dismissed in a Texas courtroom on Tuesday.
The long-awaited decision effectively stomped flat a class action case that has thrown up loads negative publicity for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and threatened it with bankruptcy.
Filed in June 2000 on behalf of 79 former students, the lawsuit sought to take the leadership of ISKCON to task for having extensive knowledge of the abuse and even seeking to cover it up.
The allegations -- which include rape, torture and the brutalisation of children as young as 3 years of age -- were never categorically denied. But ISKON has long disputed the extent of the charges and the idea that the organisation as a whole is responsible for the crimes of its devotees.
The lawsuit has been anxiously eyed by religious groups everywhere since it principally relied on the Civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations statute - a legal cudgel usually reserved for the mafia.
The case was launched by Windle Turley, a high-profile Texas lawyer who is also taking on the Catholic Church for molestation cases involving priests.
"This was clearly a victory for religious freedom," said Krishna lawyer David Liberman.
"The plaintiff's attorney disingenuously sought to apply the RICO act in an attempt to go after the assets of innocent people and temple congregations. This effort would have opened the door for church and religious institutions across the country to be attacked in a way never intended by the Congressional authors of the RICO law."
Anuttama Dasa, ISKON's chief spokeperson, said: "We are greatly pleased and relieved by Judge Lindsay's decision ... [it] will protect innocent families whose temples were threatened with closure by this overreaching suit."
"At the same time, we remain committed to assure the safety of our children and will continue to reach out proactively to help any young person who may have suffered in the past," he added.
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