We have today written to the Nepal Buddhist Federation about this tragic matter which was reported in the Buddhist Channel.
LETTER TO NEPAL BUDDHIST FEDERATION
Dear President and Committee,
We are writing to you regarding the recent horrifying case of the gang rape of a young Nepalese nun. According to reports in the media, she was violently raped to near the verge of death, and still is extremely traumatized.
We are very concerned that the Nepalese Buddhist representatives have said that a nun in such a case must be expelled from the Sangha. This is not correct. There were several incidents recorded in the Vinaya of nuns (and monks) being raped, and in no case was the victim considered to be guilty of any offence. The first parajayika offence for monks and nuns only concerns consensual intercourse.
The Buddhist tradition as recorded in the Vinayas is clear: in the case of rape, it is the rapist who has committed a terrible crime. The victim is innocent of any wrong-doing. To say otherwise misrepresents the Buddhist tradition and denigrates the good name of Buddhism in the world. Even worse, it justifies those who suggest that the victim is to blame for the rape, and encourages potential future crimes.
We call upon the representatives of Buddhism in Nepal and India to give their full support for the nun who has been so brutalized by this vicious crime. Please do not subject her to the additional trauma of being expelled from her chosen religious path and community. In addition, we ask you to look at the wider implications of this issue, and to help protect Buddhist nuns in your countries.
19th July 2011
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21st July 2011 Times of India report: