Italian authorities have arrested a man of German-Indian descent who led an isolated forest community in Sicily on suspicion of aiding and abetting child abuse, according to Italian news agency ANSA and Adnkronos.
The man presented himself as the spiritual guru of the community.The suspect is said to have led a group of 15 people, including two children aged 7 and 11, living in a forest near Cefalù on the northern coast of Sicily. The children were not vaccinated, did not go to school, and were forced to stand guard at night. Furthermore, the house had no electricity and cleanliness was poor.Adenchronos quoted the Public Prosecutor’s Office as describing the environment as “characterized by forms of isolation and psychological adaptation.”The German-Indian man, described as a “guru”, arrived in Sicily nearly ten years ago and held several spiritual meetings. The group includes Germans, Britons and an Italian woman. He convinced his followers to live in harmony with nature and embrace poverty, while he himself enjoyed the taste of luxury, ANSA reported.Authorities were alerted after the father of one of the man’s followers and the mother of one of the children came forward. A hotel owner from Cefalù reported to police the alleged manipulation his daughter was subjected to within the community, as well as repeated cash withdrawals by the woman. Italian news agency ANSA reported that after the investigation, the two children were removed from the community.