Published in Hustler Magazine, February, 1991, this story details the abuse experienced by children raised in the Hare Krishna cult through the 1970's and 1980's.

Known throughout the world, the Hare Krishna began in the mid 60's by a devout follower of the Krishna Bhakti religion in India with roots dating to the 1500's. This particular sect is among the more severe in terms of personality transformation, with strict complete control over your life, the payoff being liberation from this material world and it's endless cycle of reincarnating into different forms of life (human and otherwise) determined by one's previous karma (good and bad). Every act and thought is scrutinized by others and oneself for adherence or deviance from the approved scripture based formula. Commitment is expected to be absolute, without which, failure (continued reincarnation) is certain.

The early years produced some of the worst in terms of child abuse. The later generations - humbled by the excesses, and their grown children suing them for abuse (research Turley vs. ISKCON), plus the creation of the internet and public forums where many of those formerly abused children discussed everything publicly - have seen the abuses reduced dramatically, but not entirely. When a group declares itself the sole arbiter of the absolute truth, with everyone else a distant second in that claim, mistakes and abuses are going to happen as reality smacks them upside the head over and over again.

This article was published in 1991, at the behest of several victims (young adults at the time), attempting to get the story out to the public as a way to get the Krishna group to stop the abuse. Attempts were made to have it published by "legitimate" media, but the details were too off-putting. A Hustler connected journalist took it on. Less graphic accounts did later surface in various newspapers.

The account within the article is mostly true. The people relating the details are real. Many of the specifics have been "enhanced" for the Hustler audience. You may presume I am in a position to know the abuse victims, and the specifics of the eventual law suit.