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**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 88158 04-26-2012 08:29 PM

Britain's most senior Buddhist monk accused of raping two girls under 10 (one in his temple's shrine room)66-year-old faces nine assault charges
'Enticed girls onto his lap with Polo sweets'
Alleged rapes took place in 1978, 1984 & 1985

Monk says he's innocent victim of mistaken identity

One of Britain's most senior Buddhist monks is accused of carrying out a string of sex attacks on two young girls aged under 10.
The Venerable Pahalagama Somaratana, 66, is facing nine counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault.
One girl claims Somaratana abused her in the shrine room of Croydon Temple - where he has been chief monk for the past 31 years.
The attacks are alleged to have taken place on one victim in Chiswick, London during the summer of 1978.
A second woman claims she was indecently assaulted at Croydon Temple during the mid 1980s.
Somaratana appeared at Isleworth Crown Court last week to deny all charges against him.
The Sri Lankan-born monk told the court he was the victim of mistaken identity.
Prosecuting Richard Merz told the court the first victim, who was nine in 1978, had been enticed into the monk’s room with fruit Polo sweets and told to sit on his lap.
Later, he told the court, Ven Somaratana cornered her in the temple shrine and raped her.
...
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...z1tAlByh25

**Richard Eldritch**

Lets not condemn before the trial eh?

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 88158 04-26-2012 08:42 PM

You can catch more flies with honey than you can by casting the first stone.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 81677 04-26-2012 08:43 PM

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=polo+cand...66&bih=624

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 61600 04-26-2012 08:45 PM

Richard Eldritch Wrote:

Lets not condemn before the trial eh?

Yeah, remember Tawana Brawley. Where's the british version of Al Sharpton??

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 88158 04-26-2012 11:41 PM

**FreedomStands** · (This post was last modified: 04-26-2012 11:46 PM by FreedomStands.)

This could be like the tests the Buddha received under the Bodhi Tree like the attacks of Mara.

When will humans realize not to give any humans positions of power!

http://www.newslanka.net/images/events/1...sNY/11.jpg

He is the guy sitting holding his penis.

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 88158 04-26-2012 11:47 PM

Victim ‘Mistaken’ Says Pahalagama Somaratana Thero

The chief monk of Thames Buddhist Vihara, who allegedly abused his position of trust to sexually exploit two underage girls during the 1970s and the 1980s took to the stand on Friday.Testifying at Isleworth Crown Court on the fifth day of proceedings the accused Ven Pahalagama Somaratana thero said he was 32 years old when he first arrived in England, in 1978, BBC Sinhala reports.

He was part of Chiswick Temple from 1978 to 1981, and thereafter went on to create his own Temple in Selsdon, South Croydon, where he remains today.

Ven Somaratana said that he does not remember the first victim during the time of the alleged rape and sexual abuse.

He further exclaimed that as a monk he does not “touch people, especially the women as it is wrong and considered a sin.”
...
http://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.ph...ana-thero/

**kalamity kool**

Have to say it, if he was a Catholic priest, he would already be condemned in the minds of the majority.