Pradeep Dissanayake forced members to give him money and send hourly messages of praise before he sexually abused two girls, court of appeal says

A Melbourne skin doctor established a Buddhist-Christian cult and used his “godlike status” to rape his followers’ children while forcing them to give him money and send hourly text messages of praise.

Pradeep Dissanayake, the founder of the Windsor-based Melbourne Medical Skin Clinic, returned from a trip to Sri Lanka in 2016 and began to preach, eventually establishing a sect that blended Buddhism and Christianity, according to a Victorian court of appeal decision published earlier this month.

As the leader of the sect, Dissanayake exerted significant control over his followers.

He told them where they should live, how they should raise their children, and demanded hourly text messages praising him, according to the court’s judgment.

His followers were forced to seek permission for everything they did, including showering and leaving the home, and were made to kneel when he entered their homes.

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The doctor assumed a “godlike status”, the court decision said, which gave him access to and control over two 12-year-old girls, who were daughters of his followers.

He was found to have sexually abused both repeatedly over a period of months, including during a December 2021 trip to Bunnings to purchase supplies to help members of the sect paint a Melton home. On other occasions, the abuse occurred in hotel rooms and at a car park.

Dissanayake said he did not derive any sexual satisfaction from the abuse, a claim the court of appeal described as both “delusional and chilling”.

“The complainants were vulnerable young girls whose families were in the thrall of the respondent,” the court of appeal said. “He used his position and influence to facilitate access to the complainants and exert influence over them to commit the crimes. The offending was predatory offending of a disgusting and shameless kind.”

Dissanayake was initially sentenced in the Victorian county court to eight years’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of five years.

Prosecutors appealed against the sentence, saying it was manifestly inadequate. They told the court of appeal that the offending was serious because of the 37-year age gap between the offender and his victims, the vulnerability of the girls, and the use of Dissanayake’s position as leader of the sect to facilitate access and exert influence over the girls.

The court of appeal agreed, increasing the sentence to 10 years and 10 months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of eight years.

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“In this case, the respondent’s conduct has harmed two complainants and was particularly egregious given his role, not as a doctor, but as the leader of the sect to which the complainants’ parents belonged and over whom he exercised significant authority and control,” the court found.

“Furthermore, the offending was planned and then concealed from other adults with lies. The respondent continued to be indifferent to the harm inflicted on the complainants until well after he was charged and, until at least April 2023, he was peddling the explanation that he had been doing the complainants some kind of favour.

“He left his substantial expression of remorse to the day of sentencing.”

The court rejected the notion that Dissanayake had been blinded by some kind of “religious ‘fog’” that clouded his ability to recognise the illegality of his actions.

Dissanayake, the court said, was a “medical practitioner and an obviously intelligent and well educated man” who “well knew” he was engaging in criminal conduct.

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In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International

Source: www.theguardian.com