CultNEWS101 Articles: 2/5/2026
Patrick Ryan
"This upcoming documentary exposes the systematic child abuse within the boarding schools of ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. It examines how institutional failures allowed this abuse to continue for decades.
Sanaka Rsi guides viewers through his personal journey as a former gurukula student, grappling with the contradiction between founder Srila Prabhupada's vision of loving educational environments and the harsh reality he experienced. His search for answers leads him to question whether spiritual leadership can coexist with the protection of abusers.
Vedasara, a survivor of sexual abuse by multiple perpetrators within the organization, shares his testimony and his decades-long fight for justice. Despite repeated failures to achieve institutional accountability, he has found a path forward rooted in forgiveness and a commitment to protecting current and future children.
Dhira Govinda, former director of ISKCON's Child Protection Office, provides an insider's perspective on the corruption he witnessed—revealing how the organization systematically failed victims while shielding perpetrators.
The film exposes prominent ISKCON leader Radhanath Swami (Richard Slavin) as a key enabler who maintained his position of influence while allegedly supporting known abusers. It reveals that Bhakti Vidya Purna (Alan Ross Wexler) abused children for 40 years at Mayapur gurukula, and Dhanurdhara Swami (Dennis Winiker), former principal of Vrindavan Gurukula, subjected children to savage physical abuse. The documentary examines how these figures were protected by the institution, explores the devastating toll on survivors, and ultimately asks whether ISKCON can find redemption after straying so far from its founder's principles."
"Desert towns in Arizona and Utah were once isolated from the world under the control of disgraced prophet Warren Jeffs, but the community has broken from the cult's chokehold and now even has a winery.
Jeffs operated as the leader of a radical sect of Mormonism called the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) until he was convicted and sentenced in 2011 for sexually abusing children.
His reign over Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, gripped the desert towns for a decade as he forced arranged marriages with minors and wed around 80 women himself, of whom 20 were believed to have been underage.
Jeffs was convicted in Texas in 2011 for sexually assaulting two underage girls and sentenced to life in prison.
However, even after the cult leader's arrest, members of the FLDS still ran the town, resulting in a 2017 court-mandated supervision order to separate the church from local government."
News, Education, Intervention, Recovery
Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.
CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.
CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources about: cults, cultic groups, abusive relationships, movements, religions, political organizations, and related topics.
The selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not imply that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly endorse the content. We provide information from multiple perspectives to foster dialogue.
Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultinte...@gmail.com.
Thanks,
Ashlen Hilliard (ashlen.hilli...@gmail.com)
Joe Kelly (joeke...@gmail.com)
Patrick Ryan (pryan...@gmail.com)
If you do not wish to be subscribed to this list, or you think you are being maliciously subscribed to the list, or have any other questions, send them to: pryan...@gmail.com or send an email to: cultnews101...@googlegroups.com.