Open Letter to Plum Village Centres
An appeal for better safeguarding measures
Below is the open letter I made public on 4th January 2026.
The results (signatures and comments to the monasteries) have now privately been sent to most Plum Village centres around the world.
Open letter to Plum Village centres: An appeal for better safeguarding measures
The aim of this letter is to gather signatures in support of ensuring thorough safeguarding measures in every Plum Village (PV) centre to help prevent harm and provide care to those who need it. For PV and the Sangha to sustainably thrive and be a place of refuge, we must confront these difficult topics and hear from those who have been harmed.
In 2024, I was an aspirant in Lower Hamlet (LH), PV, France. During this time, I was effectively groomed and sexually assaulted by my teacher. From November 2024 onwards, I began communication with the LH safeguarding team. I found the safeguarding procedure and response from the LH Dharma Teachers in part to be irresponsible, unjust, and harmful.
I share about my experience of the abuse and the safeguarding procedure in detail here (summarised version here). I believe PV supporters have a right to know what has happened and how it has been dealt with.
I have heard that I am not the first case of serious and sexual abuse at the hands of a PV monastic. I also know others who have experienced other forms of harm and trauma from their experiences in PV monasteries. All this harm might have been mitigated by having stronger (or simply any) safeguarding presence. I have been told of previous attempts to persuade the monastery to strengthen their safeguarding which have seemingly gone unfulfilled for years.
Only some of PV’s hamlets have just recently started implementing safeguarding measures. Thousands of retreatants, including children and vulnerable adults, visit PV every year. Culturally, we have known for decades about systemic abuses within spiritual institutions. Other organisations have had transparent safeguarding procedures in place for many years – why hasn’t PV?
Before PV continues to work on expanding their facilities, I ask them to first make sure they can effectively and comprehensively take on their responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of those who already visit and live in their centres. An institution this size which hosts so many people needs to fully assess and mitigate the risks involved.
Requests for Plum Village centres to implement with immediacy:
Work with safeguarding professionals to establish thorough protocols that address safety risks within the monastery and all of its activities.
Annually hire professionals to facilitate training for all monastics and residents on safeguarding practices including examination of power imbalances and common abuses within spiritual environments.
Create mechanisms for the confidential reporting of concerns that are clear and can be easily found by those with concerns. Appoint a safeguarding officer who is fully external to PV and who is readily available to contact.
For serious safeguarding cases, such as those alleging criminal behaviour (e.g. sexual/physical/financial abuse) have an external organisation conduct an investigation and a trained unbiased professional to liaise with victims. Especially in instances where the accused is a Dharma Teacher.
Provide resources to victims/survivors of abuse and support for legal action they may wish to take.
Engage in restorative justice processes to those who face harm within the monastery, including those harmed before the creation of this policy (such as giving appropriate apologies and compensating therapy costs)
Have a grievance procedure in place that is available online.
Have transparent safeguarding policies available online.
These requests have been compiled through the advice of experts and are standard procedure for other institutions.
Plum Village centres should not wait for more abuse to happen before taking necessary action. One more person cannot be harmed just to be a “learning curve” for the safeguarding teams.
Abuse thrives in an environment of silence; so, let’s start the conversation towards building a healthier and safer community. PV has been a source of healing for many of us – let’s ensure that this can be the experience for everyone going forward.
Please add your name to this letter if you support these requests for Plum Village centres.
The information provided will only be sent to PV centres; it will not be made public.
May all beings be safe, well, and Free.
- Jam
Helpful Resources:
Buddhist Healthy Boundaries – A course on healthy boundaries in spiritual communities
An Olive Branch – Training for healthy spiritual communities & responding to ethical misconduct
Responding to Spiritual Leader Misconduct - A Handbook by Faith Trust Institute
Thirtyone:eight - Safeguarding training
Mitigating dHARMa – Resources for survivors of harm within Buddhist & spiritual communities
Video Playlists: Abuse, Sex, and the Sangha: A Series of Healing Conversations , Abuse in Buddhism: Facing it, Preventing it and Healing from it