「ブッダの生まれ変わり」に禁錮１０年 未成年への性虐待で ネパール

【カトマンズＡＦＰ＝時事】ネパールの裁判所は１日、ブッダの生まれ変わりと信じられてきた宗教指導者の男に対し、未成年に対する性的虐待の罪で禁錮１０年の実刑を言い渡した。（写真は「ブッダ少年」と呼ばれていたラム・バハドゥール・ボムジャン被告）
　ラム・バハドゥール・ボムジャン被告（３３）は１０代の頃、飲食も睡眠もせず数か月間にわたって瞑想（めいそう）したと信者が吹聴したことから、「ブッダ少年」と呼ばれていた。
　南部サルラヒの地裁は先週、ボムジャン被告に対し、児童への性的虐待で有罪判決を下していた。地裁の登録官はこの日、ＡＦＰに対し、「禁錮１０年が言い渡された」と明らかにした。罰金５０万ルピー（約６０万円）も科されたという。
　被告は今年１月、首都カトマンズ郊外の住宅で逮捕された。警察によると、逮捕時に３０００万ルピー（約３６００万円）と外貨２万２５００ドル（約３６０万円）相当を現金で所持していた。
　被告をめぐっては、数十人が暴行を受けたとして２０１０年に提訴。これに対し被告は、瞑想をじゃまされたためなぐったとしていた。
　２０１８年には、当時１８歳の尼僧が僧院で被告にレイプされたと訴えた。さらに翌２０１９年、信者４人が失踪した事件で警察が新たな捜査に乗り出していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/07/02-18:28）

A Nepali court on Monday sentenced a man whose followers believe him to be a reincarnation of Buddha to 10 years in prison for child sexual abuse.
Ram Bahadur Bomjan, known as Buddha boy by his devotees, became famous as a teenager after followers said he could meditate motionless for months without water, food or sleep.
He was convicted of child sexual abuse last week by the court in Nepal's southern town of Sarlahi.
He has been sentenced to 10 years in jail, Sadan Adhikari, registrar at the district court, told AFP.
Bomjan was also fined 500,000 Nepali rupees ($3,743).
The 33-year-old guru has a devout following but has long been accused of physically and sexually assaulting his followers, and had been hiding from authorities for several years.
Nepal's Central Investigation Bureau arrested him in January at a house on the outskirts of the capital Kathmandu.
Police said he was caught with bundles of cash amounting to 30 million Nepali rupees and another $22,500 in foreign currency.
Dozens of assault complaints were filed against Bomjan in 2010.
He said he beat the victims because they disturbed his meditation.
An 18-year-old nun also accused Bomjan of raping her at a monastery in 2018.
Police opened another investigation against him the following year, after family members reported the disappearance of four of his devotees from one of his ashrams.
Before he went on the run, Bomjan still commanded a legion of followers.
At one point, tens of thousands of people gathered to witness his reputed miracles of meditation deep in the jungle.
Aged 16, Bomjan disappeared for nine months to wander the wilderness of eastern Nepal, prompting a round-the-clock vigil by Buddhist monks who prayed for his safe return.