Psychologist Nigel Denning. Photo: Josh Robenstone

Many women at a Melbourne ashram at the centre of a sex scandal joined the group seeking healing after surviving rape and sexual assaults elsewhere, advocates say.

Fairfax Mediareported on Monday that Mornington Peninsula's sexual offences and child abuse investigation team were investigating the Shiva School of Meditation and Yoga at Mount Eliza after a number of victims reported alleged abuse there.

It can be revealed that many of the alleged victims were particularly vulnerable, having turned to the ashram and its spiritual teachings to help them with their own personal problems.

Swami Shankarananda, American-born Russell Michael Kruckman, had 'secret sexual relations' with residents of the school.

The school's former treasurer, Dan Conquest, had lived at the ashram for about 11 years when he left last year, days after hearing about Swami Shankarananda's "tantric practices" with members through a friend.

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He was shocked because he believed the Swami was celibate and eventually left because he did not want to "passively condone" what he believed to be sexual abuse at the ashram.

He said that the Shiva School has threatened to sue at least one whistleblower for defamation if they continued to discuss sex abuse allegations, and a number of people have left the Shiva School since it was revealed the centre's former director, Swami Shankarananda, American-born Russell Michael Kruckman, had had "secret sexual relations" with residents last year.

Nigel Denning, a counselling psychologist and owner of an East Melbourne private psychology practice, started going to the Mt Eliza ashram about a decade ago and regularly attended its meditation classes.

Here is the original post:
Alleged victims of Shiva School of Meditation and Yoga were previously sexually assaulted