Gabriel Mizrahi

by the leader of Halifax Shambhala Center, by the Code of Conduct officers, and by my common-law partner and his family who forced me to continue attending events at the center thereafter, despite me repeatedly saying that I was not willing to attend events there until my sexual assault was appropriately addressed.

I was yelled at for infractions like having tears run silently down my face while being forced to attend an event on the anniversary of my assault, in the place where I was assaulted, and for any mention of the assault or how it affected me.

I'm really sorry to hear that, friend.

I was eventually diagnosed with PTSD resulting from the assault.

Eventually, I was able to leave my abusive partner.

We share custody of our children who are five and six and a half years old now, but he's still bringing them to events at the center.

He is well aware of the sexual assault and its concealment.

He is also aware that since my assault, there have been several other sexual assaults at the center, and that one of their leaders stepped down a few months ago publicly stating that he was stepping down due to ongoing, repeated sexual abuse and its concealment within the community.

That's what it sounds like.

Yeah.

The Sakyong stepped down in 2018.

This other leader was a few months ago, she's saying.

I talk to my kids regularly about consent and about appropriate and inappropriate behaviors from adults towards children at what I feel is an age appropriate level.

I've also sought professional advice from several local social workers, police officers, and mental health professionals on how to go about giving my kids information that they can use to keep themselves safe.

But my impression is that they don't have much expertise when it comes to how cults operate or how to protect children from becoming victims of dangerous practices.

The advice I've received to date is that my only course of action is to teach the kids about consent and appropriate conduct and that I shouldn't tell them anything that they might perceive as a negative view of their family members or spiritual community.

But how can it possibly be appropriate to intentionally not tell my children about sexual misconduct and associated cover-ups happening in a place they visit?

If I were to do this and one of my children were eventually assaulted, I would consider myself 100% to blame.

for having done nothing to warn them about the risks associated with this community.

It's important to me to not make them anxious or fearful, but also to empower them with the age-appropriate knowledge and skills that they will need to become healthy, successful adults who can navigate an environment like this with open eyes and open minds.