“Religious Seductress” — Monks Face Ultimate Punishment After 85,000+ Images Of Sexual Affairs With The Same Woman Uncover Another Scandal
Though monks are usually thought to be primarily of Buddhist religions, they exist in many different ones and overlap in how they serve. One of the most familiar ideas associated with monks is their vows, which can vary depending on religion.
One that continually appears with most, however, is a vow of celibacy, or vowing to forgo intimate relations, including sex.
Recently, multiple monks were exposed for allegedly breaking their vows and engaging in sexual activity with the same woman.
According to reports, the sex scandal was first uncovered when Phra Thammachiranuwat, abbot of Wat Rai Khing in Nakhon Pathom province, was involved in a blackmail scandal that resulted in him being disrobed and police launching an investigation into suspicious financial activity.
This led to another monk, who ended up fleeing to another province to disrobe and avoid the consequences of his alleged relationship with a woman known as Ms. Golf.
According to police, Ms. Golf was romantically involved with between 12 and 13 senior monks. Investigators found evidence, including chat logs, bank transfers, photos, and over 15,000 images, both still and moving, depicting her alleged relationship with monks, some of whom wore their robes while engaging in sexual acts with her.
Ms. Golf claimed that the relationships were mutually beneficial and that any financial exchanges were gifts. Authorities have refuted this, claiming they are investigating financial transfers from 19 monks at 18 different temples and that Ms. Golf used money to gamble online.
Monks who have committed Parajika offences, which include the gravest of violations, including sexual intercourse, face mandatory disrobing. So far, at least eight monks have disrobed over this scandal, both preemptively and due to code violations.
The investigation is still on going, but an amendment to criminalizing monks for sexual activity is currently being considered.
