Why am I posting about this?
Because I’ve written twice on this subject and promised readers an update whatever the outcome of Shanti’s trial.
Because I was vilified by some of his fans, some who saw my posting about this as some sort of self-glorification, others who just didn’t want to hear about it.
So, to be clear:
German new-age musician and sect leader Oliver Shanti has been convicted in 76 cases of child sexual abuse and sentenced by a Munich court to nearly seven years in prison.
From the article:
Shanti was charged with 314 cases of child sexual abuse against two girls and four boys. But only 76 of these cases could be proven in court and the testimony of the girls was not found to be strong enough for a conviction on their complaints. The children were aged between seven and 13 at the time.
Shanti confessed to abusing the four boys during the trial. (Article in German only.)
By first pointing out how I discovered about a year and a half ago that this guy was still widely selling his music despite being wanted by the Munich police for more than a half decade (Pointing that out was my one and only Wikipedia edit, ever…)
And then updating that with a post about how he had finally been apprehended in Portugal…
…a few decided to play shoot the messenger.
One guy from Russia stuck my photo up in a forum. God knows what he said – I couldn’t be arsed with Google translate, it’s so useless – but he also spouted off in the comments on my blog about how by publicising this fact, all I am is some jealous no-talent guy trying to bring down some spiritual leader. Blah-blah-blah, the internet. Why should I care?
I care because there are still too many out there who think that journalists, bloggers, whistle-blowers and other people who spread the word are somehow guilty of crimes worse than those they are reporting about.
Funny thing, that sort of thing happens in Russia all the time. Reporters go missing, get shot on the street, whatever. I didn’t even have to get up off my chair to post what I did – it was already out there on the Internet - and I got dumped upon.
I’m sorry if all of his fans couldn’t deal with the fact that someone whose music they listened to and even loved was under suspicion of being a sexual abuser of children.
I’m even more sorry for them now that that they will have to deal with the fact that he has been found guilty in open court of sexual abuse, and has been sentenced to prison.
But you should have seen the comments I didn’t print from people who convicted him in the court of public opinion before the trial got underway. Some of them said he should burn in hell, have his lungs ripped out, but I didn’t publish those comments because the matter was still before the courts.
Because the trial is over I now consider the matter closed. You can comment in English, you can comment in Russian, you can comment away in God-damned Barcrapistoli for all I care, just don’t come bitching at me if you’re a fan and your beloved musician is behind bars. He got there through his own actions. A court of law convicted him. I wrote about it, and so did major newspapers and television media. Deal with it.
But they never made it to the front page.
Have your say. The comments box is always open.