Report Confirms Indian American Christian Evangelist Ravi Zacharias was a Sexual Abuser, Rapist
- Independent investigation reveals in lurid detail the serial sexual misconduct of the Chennai-born preacher who was once compared to Billy Graham and C.S. Lewis.
An investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct against Ravi Zacharias has revealed that the Indian American evangelist was involved in “sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape.” A 12-page report released on Feb. 11 by Alpharetta, Georgia-based Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) confirms that their founder and leader sexually harassed women at day spas he owned in Atlanta. The report uncovered five additional victims in the U.S., as well as evidence of sexual abuse in Thailand, India, and Malaysia.
A Christian leader of international repute, Zacharias died last May at his home in Atlanta, following a battle with cancer. He was 74. The New York Times calls Zacharias “one of the most revered evangelists in the United States.” Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke at his memorial service. In a tweet, he called Zacharias a “man of faith who could ‘rightly handle the word of truth’ like few others in our time & he was my friend.”
RZIM which has employed Zacharias’s wife and his three children and is now led by his daughter, Sarah Zacharias Davis.
As allegations of sexual abuse began to surface in August 2020, the international board of RZIM first denied the allegations and later hired the law firm of Miller & Martin PLLC to investigate. On Sept. 29, 2020, Christianity Today first published an article citing allegations by three anonymous sources that Zacharias sexually harassed them at two spas he co-owned, the report said, adding that it found significant evidence of sexual misconduct involving additional massage therapists. “We also reviewed Mr. Zacharias’s electronic devices and found evidence of text- and email-based relationships with women who were not his wife, as well as over 200 “selfie”-style photographs of women,” the report said.
The Miller & Martin PLLC report however noted that “the scope of our engagement did not extend to RZIM finances, possible retaliation against employees, or other aspects of the organization’s culture. This report comments on some of these issues as necessary to discuss sexual misconduct, but this was not an investigation into such topics.”
Investigators spoke “with many witnesses, both within and outside RZIM, who saw the question of Mr. Zacharias’s alleged sexual misconduct as intertwined with allegations by a woman named Lori Anne Thompson,” the report said. As per the report, Thompson “claimed in 2017 that Mr. Zacharias engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with her and solicited indecent photos of her. Quoting one witness who worked closely with Zacharias, the report said Thompson’s account at “least makes the spa allegations more plausible and vice versa.” It said that “many people within RZIM felt strongly that the Thompson matter, which resulted in a confidential settlement agreement, left several questions unanswered,” and added the “the RZIM leadership encouraged us to include it in our investigation.” Investigators explains that the report explains their effor “to investigate that matter and describes other evidence that is consistent with Ms. Thompson’s allegations.” The report also noted that it did not find “evidence that anyone within RZIM or on its Board knew that Mr. had engaged in sexual misconduct.”
On its website, RZIM board of directors issued a statement expressing remorse over the findings of the investigation. “It is with shattered hearts that we issue this statement about the allegations against RZIM’s Founder, Ravi Zacharias,” the statement began.
“An obvious limitation of this investigation is that we were not able to speak with the accused, as Mr. Zacharias passed away in May 2020 before the allegations regarding massage therapists surfaced,” the report said. “We do not know how he would respond to or defend against the various allegations,” it said. “The conclusions we report here are based solely on conduct for which, in our judgment, there is credible evidence.”
As per the report, “five therapists reported that Zacharias touched or rubbed them inappropriately, “ while “others said he asked them to touch him or he touched himself. One reported that she would re-drape him if he removed the sheets, and told him when she was uncomfortable, and told him he would have to leave if he did not stop,” according to the report.
“Another therapist responded to his attempts to rub her legs by moving his arms back onto the table and at times even binding his arms with sheets into a ‘sling’ to keep them from wandering,” the report said. “Some therapists reported even more serious and sustained sexual assaults that evolved over time,” the report said and added: “Two therapists obliged his request to masturbate him, telling one of them it was necessary because his pain was ‘ligamental.’”
The report noted some therapists saying the Zacharias “paid very well” or would leave “large tips or lavish gifts, such as a Persian rug or a Louis Vuitton wallet with $500 inside.”
On its website, RZIM board of directors issued a statement expressing remorse over the findings of the investigation. “It is with shattered hearts that we issue this statement about the allegations against RZIM’s Founder, Ravi Zacharias,” the statement began.
“To be victimized by unwanted sexual contact, advances, and behavior is horrendous,” the statement continued. “It is diametrically opposed to everything we believe about the value and dignity of every single person. We believe not only the women who made their allegations public but also additional women who had not previously made public allegations against Ravi but whose identities and stories were uncovered during the investigation. Tragically, witnesses described encounters including sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse, and rape. We are devastated by what the investigation has shown and are filled with sorrow for the women who were hurt by this terrible abuse.”
The RZIM statement mentioned Lori Anne Thompson, who in 2017 alleged that she was coerced into a relationship with Zacharias that included “sexually explicit online conversations and solicited indecent photographs of her.” Both Zacharias and the ministry denied the allegations at the time.
According to the Miller & Martin PLLC report, “The Thompson case, which resulted in a confidential settlement agreement, left several questions unanswered,” but the RZIM leadership “encouraged us to include it in our investigation.”
Expressing regret in not believing the Thompson’s the RZIM statement said: “Our trust in Ravi’s denial of moral wrongdoing and in his deceptive explanations of emails and other records that became public was severely misplaced, and our failures in 2017, including our failure to commission an independent investigation at that time, allowed tremendous pain to continue to be caused in the Thompsons’ lives.”
Noting that Thompson and her husband “were slandered for years and their suffering was greatly prolonged and intensified,” the RZIM statement said they were “heartbroken and ashamed.”The RZIM leadership said they were guilty of allowing their “misplaced trust in Ravi to result in him having less oversight and accountability than would have been wise and loving.” They also expressed remorse in “the ways that many of us have publicly extolled Ravi’s character and the impact this will have had on victims of his abuse.”
Adding that “as followers of Christ who passionately believe that every person bears the image of God,” the RZIM board said they “detest any sin of abuse. We now know based on the investigation that Ravi engaged in a series of extensive measures to conceal his behavior from his family, colleagues, and friends,” RZIM said.
“However, we also recognize that in situations of prolonged abuse, there often exist significant structural, policy, and cultural problems. It is imperative that where these things exist in our organization, we take focused steps to ensure they are properly diagnosed and addressed.”RZIM noted in the statement that it is “taking steps to address such complaints and to help the abuse survivors.”
One of the steps RZIM took in that direction was the hiring of victim-advocate Rachael Denhollander to serve as a consultant “to educate and advise the board and senior leadership on understanding trauma and abuse as well as best-standards practices.” Denhollander also has been retained to serve as a confidential liaison with survivors and to help guide the process of care, justice, and restitution for those who have been victimized, the statement said.
Bhargavi Kulkarni has been a journalist for nearly two decades. She has a degree in English literature and French. She is also an adventure sport enthusiast, and in her free time, she likes to cook, bake, bike and hike.