This is a very important point - that Rawat as a child can not (beyond the normally expected levels of age appropriate responsibility) be expected to be answerable for what he then believed.

I disagree with Andries on the point about Rawat not commencing his Guruship until he was older - Rawat was a child who enjoyed playing to the crowd - and there was a crowd ready and willing to be played to - the adults were responsible - both the Rawat family and the mahatmas - and the devotees, not the child who enthralled them.

However, what is not acceptable is Rawat pretending he wasn't caught up in the God stuff - nor is his implicit denial that large amounts of his personal wealth came to him because premies believed in his divinity. Rawat would be entitled just to walk away from his 'Guru' days if he honestly acknowledged his contribution to the divinity myth - but he has steadfastly refused to do that - instead blaming everyone else for getting the wrong message.

Rawat could have a very strong point were he to say that as a 8,9, 10 year old he had every right to expect that the world wouldn't take him seriously beyond acknowledging his needs as a child. But he doesn't say that - he denies ever saying any of the embarassing stuff - and he makes that denial as an adult. That makes him a liar - end of story.