Vic: Cult leader deserted by his harem, court told

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2000
Vic: Cult leader deserted by his harem, court told

MELBOURNE Aug 3, AAP - The ageing guru of a religious cult convicted of molesting four
young girls had now been deserted by his "harem" of nine wives and the dozens of children
he fathered, the County Court was told today.

Alistah (Alistah) Laishkochav, 71, was convicted on Monday on 20 charges of sexually
abusing four young girls near Geelong.

At a pre-sentencing hearing today, Laishkochav's barrister Keith Boulton said his client
now had contact with just two sons of the 63 children he fathered and was a "lonely old
man" with no assets.

The trial was told that New Zealand-born Laishkochav, formerly known as Ian Lowe, was
a man who had drawn followers to him who were attracted to his professed "spiritual powers"

and beliefs based on the Jewish, Muslim and Morman religions.

Mr Boulton said Laishkochav, who gave some of his wives and children Hawaiian names,
was an admirer of the lifestyle of the South Sea Islands.

The four girls were assaulted by Laishkochav at the cult's 10 acre property at Bells
Beach, near Geelong, between 1987 and 1991.

Mr Boulton said Laishkochav had possessed a "strong charismatic personality" and had
travelled around Australia with his followers over years.

He had taken his role as patriarch seriously, always caring for and providing a home
for his wives and children.

But now, Mr Boulton said Laishkochav had "suffered the loss of his family, however
unusual that family was".

Mr Boulton said that since being at Port Phillip prison following the verdict, Laishkochav
had received death threats from other prisoners and had been spat on.

He urged the judge, to bear in mind his client's age and ill health and not to impose
a "crushing" sentence.

He will be sentenced by Judge Mervyn Kimm on Friday, August 11.

AAP sew/jlw/bdm/bwl

KEYWORD: LAISHKOCHAV (CARRIED EARLIER)

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