Italian ‘yoga guru’ arrested after shocking abuse allegations emerge from retreat
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Italian ‘yoga guru’ arrested after shocking abuse allegations emerge from retreat")
Bruno Antonio Malatesta
Italian yoga guru Bruno Antonio Malatesta, who presented himself as a master of the Shaivist Hindu tradition, has been arrested in Italy over allegations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse of students, including minors.
Bruno Antonio Malatesta, a 59-year-old Italian Yoga Guru and self-proclaimed spiritual guide, had been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing students, some of whom were reportedly minors. He was arrested on October 1, 2026, during a major police operation code-named “Operazione Asmodeo” and is now being held in custody.
Malatesta used to operate his community under the name Fiore della Pace (Flower of Peace) Foundation. He presented himself as a master of the Shaivist Hindu tradition. Investigators believe on the guise of his pseudo-spiritual cult disguised as a wellness community in Almese, near Turin, Italy, he used to prey on young girls, vulnerable women and sometimes those suffering from mental illness. He used to lure them to his retreat, where he supposedly used to run courses in yoga, meditation and martial arts. Once in the retreat, he allegedly would enslave them and subject them to physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
Malatesta used to call the women “nuns” or “handmaids”,were subjected to strict rules of obedience. They were forced to shave their heads, wear orange, work long days on agricultural land, and were punished for breaking rules, including being beaten and made to sleep on the floor. Malatesta, known in the sect as the “master”, frequently subjected minors to sexual abuse in the name of “purification”
“He said that in our previous life we were b*tch witches. That we all are. He would save us by taking away the negative energies. For example, by placing his hands on our breasts. Otherwise, evil would come,” said one 27-year-old victim, Pandora (not her real name). She was 11 when she was forced to cook, clean and work on the land after joining the sect on the recommendation of her mother, who was also a member.
Cult members were coerced into ceding all their money and worldly possessions to his foundation. He also sold his own paintings for up to €150,000, claiming they held protective, bio-energetic powers
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There were two other women and a man who are still to be arrested. The women used to look after the logistical aspect of the cult; one nicknamed ‘the mistress’, while the other had the role of professional psychologist. The man, nicknamed “monk”, was a masseur and accused of performing ‘sexual therapy’ on the female victims.
The crackdown followed a meticulous two-year investigation by the Turin Carabinieri. Following his arrest, at least 20 women who were living in the villa complex were extracted by authorities and relocated to safe houses. Malatesta began practising martial arts at six years old before encountering the teachings of the Hindu yogi Paramahansa Yogananda and founding the Almese community in 2014. He was under investigation in 2018 after complaints were filed by the ex-husband of an alleged victim in 2018. The cult's severe inner workings went unchecked by local justice systems for over six years before further complaints prompted a fresh investigation in 2024; official action was finally taken in September 2026.
