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Conflicting and spurious allegations regarding the alleged incidents
of sexual abuse have been posted anonymously on the Internet and
EVI is concerned to set the record straight. We make the following
points:
- Neither alleged victims has ever taken law enforcement or legal
action over the alleged childhood incidents.
- Both alleged victims claim to have previously notified EVI about
the incident. Our inquiry determined that these claims were unfounded.
- The second alleged victim detailed psychological difficulties
encountered as a result of the alleged abuse. Although under no
legal obligation to do so, EVI responded immediately with an offer
of help, including payment for professional counseling of the
person’s choice. This offer was rejected. The person then
demanded a large amount of cash, public apologies from persons
uninvolved with the episode, and, finally, that EVI buy her a
house. Later, the person’s attorney told EVI that the organization
would have to pay dearly to buy the alleged victim’s silence.
We found these actions disconcerting. Subsequently, EVI learned
that the person had been simultaneously negotiating with the producers
of Australian television’s “Sixty Minutes” to broadcast
the story, who apparently turned it down. The person then began
negotiating with the French Communist magazine “Combat Face
Au Sida,” which advocates actions based on the recently passed
“About-Picard” law. This law, which is considered to
restrict freedom of thought, conscience and religion in France,
has been strongly criticized by the US State Department, members
of the United States Congress as well as by civil rights leaders
worldwide. According to the Helsinki Federation for Human Rights,
the law ” goes against freedom of association, expression,
religion and conscience; it imperils the rights of minorities
and creates prejudices incompatible with the notion of tolerance
intrinsic to human rights.”
EVI spokesperson, Linda Gross, said that even after DUO had indicated
that, to the best of its knowledge, Upadhaya was living in Buxar
in the Indian State of Bihar, the alleged victims continued to make
false and conflicting claims that DUO was harboring Upadhaya and
had not revealed his whereabouts.
“Any statement that EVI harbored this man, and innuendo that
EVI knew of and ignored the allegations of sexual misconduct are
flatly false and defamatory. It is just not true,” Ms Gross
said.
For more information, please contact Elan Vital Inc.:
Tel: (818) 889 1193 ext. 145
Email: pr@elanvital.org
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