Well-known Abbot Arrested For Allegedly Raping Australian Girl

[george]

Well-known abbot arrested for allegedly raping Australian girl

BANGKOK: -- Police have arrested a former abbot for allegedly raping an 18-year-old Australian.

Suspect Munee Waewnokyoong, 59, was the abbot of Chanthasamosorn Temple and the monastic chief of Dusit district at the time the alleged sexual assault took place. The victim, who had Vietnamese descent, visited the suspect on January 25 during her vacation here at the suggestion of her mother.

A friend accompanied the victim to the temple.

However, when the suspect saw the victim, he claimed bad luck befell her and she should undergo a ritual to avoid the bad things. After the girl followed him into his quarters for the rite, he raped her.

The victim's mother had respected the monk and was appalled upon hearing about the assault.

With the help of her family, the victim reported the assault to the Australian embassy. The embassy then brought the victim to lodge the complaint with police.

Police arrested Munee Thursday's night.

-- The Nation 2007-02-02

[seonai]

When I was all starry eyed about monks as I set off for Thailand back in 1992, a monk in London told me 'Remember Seonai that monks are just men in orange robes...'

[ColPyat]

When I was all starry eyed about monks as I set off for Thailand back in 1992, a monk in London told me 'Remember Seonai that monks are just men in orange robes...'

Yeps.

Back in '93 i had a monk trying to touch up my private parts as well. Fortunately i am neither woman nor small, so it was not difficult to get him off me. Since then i have been a lot more careful with some of those fellas in orange.

[britmaveric]

Unfortunately those in robes of every religion are no different than anyone else. We'd like to think we are safe from predators when it comes to religion, however case after case suggests you should always be on guard.

Edited February 2, 2007 by britmaveric

[stranger_in_the_alps]

Unfortunately those in robes of every religion are no different than anyone else. We'd like to think we are safe from predators when it comes to religion, however case after case suggests you should always be on guard.

Makes one wonder how many "rituals" were never reported. I would guess hundreds. It is a rare Thai that would report it for loss of face and humilitation. He just chose the wrong one this time.

[LaoPo]

Unfortunately those in robes of every religion are no different than anyone else. We'd like to think we are safe from predators when it comes to religion, however case after case suggests you should always be on guard.

Seconded! There are countless cases in other, than Buddhism, religions.

Buddhism and sexuality:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_...m_and_sexuality

excerpt:

" Like other religions, Buddhism takes a strong ethical stand in human affairs and sexual behaviour in particular. The most common formulation of Buddhist ethics are the five precepts:

Refraining from harming living beings/practicing loving kindness

Refraining from taking the non-given/practicing generosity

Refraining from committing sexual misconduct/practicing contentment

Refraining from false speech/practicing truthful communication

Refraining from intoxicants/practicing mindfulness.

The precepts are voluntary. Buddhists are to analyse their actions and thoughts in terms of these precepts, rather than subscribe to a divinely derived list of commandments. The third precept, sexual misconduct, has been interpreted differently by different Buddhist traditions, but ultimately is up to the individual to determine.

This means that a householder may indulge in legitimate sex because in such activity there is no guilt and no sense of exploitation of the other party. Sex, according to Buddhism, should be neither unhealthily repressed nor morbidly exaggerated. It should always be under the control of the will, as it can be if it is regarded sanely and placed in its proper perspective. "

LaoPo

Edited February 2, 2007 by LaoPo

[ollyrosee]

men of the cloth have a shocking reputation for this sort of thing i wonder why ? The catholics seem to be the worst of the lot .

[sriracha john]

Phra Wimonmunee, the 59-year-old abbot of a Bangkok temple, is escorted by two plainclothes police at a police station in Bangkok February 2, 2007. A senior Thai Buddhist monk has been charged with raping an Australian teenager during a ritual he claimed would protect her from bad luck, police said on Friday.

REUTERS

[sriracha john]

Australian raped by monk: police

A SENIOR Thai Buddhist monk has been charged with raping an Australian teenager during a ritual he claimed would protect her from bad luck, police said today.

"The victim did not know at first she had been raped because she thought it was part of the rite, until she called her parents and they told her to report to the embassy and the police," Colonel Thanit Ratanopast said.

The 18-year-old woman went to the police, who told her to plant a camera in her bag when she went back to see Phra Wimonmunee, the 59-year-old abbot of a Bangkok temple, they said.

Police then arrested the monk while he was trying to rape the woman again, they said.

They declined to say where the woman lived in Australia, but said her parents had recommended she go see the monk, a popular preacher of Buddhism in Australia and other western countries.

The man, a monk since he was 13, raped the woman on January 25 in a rite using candles to touch her naked body to ward off bad luck, police said.

The monk, who faces up to 20 years in jail if found guilty of rape, denied the charge, Col Thanit said.

- news.com.au

[sibeymai]

"The victim did not know at first she had been raped because she thought it was part of the rite"....."a rite using candles to touch her naked body".

This is sounding pretty weird. Hard to image an 18yo woman who wouldn't know when she was being raped.

[toptuan]

men of the cloth have a shocking reputation for this sort of thing i wonder why ? The catholics seem to be the worst of the lot .

Using position and power for one's personal gain/pleasure is not limited to "the men of the cloth"...ever thought it might be HUMAN condition in general?

Edited February 3, 2007 by toptuan

[pampal]

This abbot should consult with the Catholic church's lawyers,

they know how to sidestep these things.

[Shango1]

"The victim did not know at first she had been raped because she thought it was part of the rite"....."a rite using candles to touch her naked body".

This is sounding pretty weird. Hard to image an 18yo woman who wouldn't know when she was being raped.

Not all 18 year old Western women are sexaully active or rampaging whores.

[ColPyat]

men of the cloth have a shocking reputation for this sort of thing i wonder why ? The catholics seem to be the worst of the lot .

Using position and power for one's personal gain/pleasure is not limited to "the men of the cloth"...ever thought it might be HUMAN condition in general?

The difference though with men of the cloth, and added severety of the offense is that due to their vows of celibacy and responsibility of taking care of the spiritual well being of the followers, people do tend to let their usual guard down when consulting them, often in times of vulnerability and spiritual need.

[my friend I]

"The victim did not know at first she had been raped because she thought it was part of the rite"....."a rite using candles to touch her naked body".

This is sounding pretty weird. Hard to image an 18yo woman who wouldn't know when she was being raped.

Rape can mean any kind of penetration.

[toptuan]

men of the cloth have a shocking reputation for this sort of thing i wonder why ? The catholics seem to be the worst of the lot .

Using position and power for one's personal gain/pleasure is not limited to "the men of the cloth"...ever thought it might be HUMAN condition in general?

The difference though with men of the cloth, and added severety of the offense is that due to their vows of celibacy and responsibility of taking care of the spiritual well being of the followers, people do tend to let their usual guard down when consulting them, often in times of vulnerability and spiritual need.

Very well said...and my post was, by no means, an attempt to whitewash them.

[ColPyat]

men of the cloth have a shocking reputation for this sort of thing i wonder why ? The catholics seem to be the worst of the lot .

Using position and power for one's personal gain/pleasure is not limited to "the men of the cloth"...ever thought it might be HUMAN condition in general?

The difference though with men of the cloth, and added severety of the offense is that due to their vows of celibacy and responsibility of taking care of the spiritual well being of the followers, people do tend to let their usual guard down when consulting them, often in times of vulnerability and spiritual need.

Very well said...and my post was, by no means, an attempt to whitewash them.

Thanks.

The really bad part is, that because of all these scandals now, there is a general mistrust now against men of cloth of almost all denominations and religions, which makes it difficult for people in need to go and consult them.

One may view religion any way one wants to, but for many people it is very important. They don't want to go to a psycho analyst, they want to ease their conscious by going to the parish priest, or to the monk at the neighborhood temple, and then get on with life.

Many people are so disappointed with their traditional faiths that they move to the fanatical fundamentalist religions and sects now jumping up all over, and those are not interested in letting believers getting on with life, there believers have to completely submit all aspects of their lifes to the faith.

There is a big problem in deconstructing main stream established religion such as Catholicism, run of the mill Islam, every day Buddhism and such. Imagine a religious world dominated by the likes of born again Christians, Santi Asoke and fanatic Islamists...ARGHHH!

[falux]

Wouldn't most 18 year olds tell the guy to bugger off once he tells her to get naked ? She didn't realize she got raped at first ?

This young lady is either pretty confused or she was drunk.

Still no reason to get raped of course, which is a horrible act everywhere in the world, but especially stupid in Thailand. He could have changed to normal clothes and do a quick visit to the next best... oh well.

[ColPyat]

He could have changed to normal clothes and do a quick visit to the next best... oh well.

Yeah?

With shaved head and eyebrows?

I don't think so.

[Pink Mist]

well if was a mufti it wouldn't be rape according to a couple of them here in Oz, it would be their fault for displaying themselves like pieces of meat to be eaten

[Scott]

Well, the monk certainly was correct in his prediction that she would have bad luck.