CANADA
CBC News
A Buddhist monk in Windsor is facing two counts of sexual assault against a child.
Windsor Police allege the crime took place two years ago, when child was six, and they believe there could be more victims.
Rob Hogendoorn is a Dutch journalist who is investigating 17 abuse cases involving Buddhist monks in the Netherlands.
Hogendoorn is also a Buddhist.
CBC News spoke to him over the phone from Maasland, Netherlands.
Here are edited excerpts of the interview.
In Windsor, this case is rare. But elsewhere in the world, how common are allegations of sexual assault within the Buddhist faith?
Unfortunately, there have been widespread reports on abuse cases within Buddhist communities worldwide; not just in Asia but in the West as well, especially in the United States but also in many European countries.
How has the Buddhist leadership handled these allegations elsewhere?
There have been some exceptions but mostly the Buddhist community has remained silent.
For instance, the Dalai Lama has spoken out against sexual abuse in the past. But, so far, he has never [outlined] concrete steps to end it or to help remedy it. But, in Buddhism, there is no central hierarchy. So, the Dalai Lama has very little to say to, for example, Zen Buddhists. So that’s part of the problem I think.
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