The New Zealand Herald - April 23, 2009
by Rebecca Quilliam
For hundreds of people living in a cut-off community called Gloriavale on the West Coast, Neville Cooper speaks the word of God.
For his son Phil, Neville Cooper was a controlling, manipulative, sexual deviant who set out to dominate every aspect of his life - from who he could marry to what he named his children.
Phil Cooper has told his story in a book, Sins of the Father, which has been released recently.
Australian-born Cooper moved to New Zealand as a five-year-old with his father, his mother Gloria and 10 siblings in 1967.
Neville Cooper had already set himself up as a Christian preacher and was invited to speak around the country. However, his brand of fundamentalist preachings saw him at odds with mainstream religious groups.
He ended up establishing a community at Haupiri on the West Coast, inland from Greymouth - where the group of about 500 people still live and obey his word as law.
They are known as the Cooperites.
As a head-strong teenager, Phil Cooper clashed with his father, left Gloriavale and moved back to Australia. But without the support of the community or his siblings, the 16-year-old returned to the West Coast and tried to be an obedient son.
The move proved difficult as Cooper disagreed with his father's tight control over the community.
Women were only allowed to wear long modest blue dresses, men were leaders of their families, while children's names had to reflect the philosophies of Neville Cooper.
Phil Cooper says the use of sexual images and movies were prevalent among the older men.
He says he had to endure watching his wife being fondled by his father and young girls were sometimes told to join community elders in hot tubs.
In 1995 Neville Cooper was jailed for almost a year on sexual abuse charges. He was convicted on the testimony of his son and some young women who had fled the compound.
Those who stayed in Gloriavale steadfastly supported their leader through his imprisonment.
At the age of 27, Cooper - a father of five children aged between eight years and 16 months - walked away from the compound and his family.
Shortly after leaving, he was told by a community elder he was banned from having any communication with his children.
Cooper says he was heartbroken and resolved to kidnap them so they could live with him.
What followed was an outrageous night-time raid.
Phil Cooper said he slipped back into the compound grounds, gathered his sleeping children into his car and sped away with them.
"When I look back on it now, it was crazy. As I've got older I realise it was a bit gung-ho," he said.
The family moved around the country hiding from Cooper's father and supporters before fleeing to the United States and then eventually settled back in Australia.
His wife Sandra was left behind, but twice Cooper was able to rescue her from the compound, only to have her return on her own - leaving her children with their father.
She was quoted in the book as saying she felt that only by having one of the children's parents stay at Gloriavale, would they later be accepted into Heaven.
For the first years Cooper and his children were away from the community they survived on almost nothing, with the children helping him build furniture in the evenings to sell the following day.
He has now remarried and built up a multi-million dollar design business in Australia.
He said telling his story was a hard but cathartic experience.
"I think that it was very hard in bringing back up the past...you sometimes bury things.
"But I'm a believer the past only makes you the person you are today, so the past is not always a negative thing."
The book allowed him to "put some things to bed" and it had allowed his children to know exactly what went on in the compound and what his father went through to rescue them.
"So from that point of view the book has been really good."
He said he worked hard not to repeat the mistakes his own father had made with him and his 15 other siblings.
"It's recognising where you've come from, what the upbringing has been, accept the good, but not the bad."
However, he accepted he had inherited some traits of his father.
"I'd be a fool to deny it. Every person that's out there, they have attributes from their parents - good, bad or otherwise.
" But I've got that advantage that he hasn't got, where I've seen the devastation that he's caused. He lives in that devastation and he doesn't see it.
"Because that's who he is - he thinks `it's either my way or the highway'."
Phil Cooper said he had to consciously learn not to be as controlling with his own children.
"I thought I'm going to love unconditionally whereas my father thought love was conditional."
He said it was sad his first wife had chosen to stay in his father's compound because she believed the only way she could live was by following his word.
Two of Cooper's daughters also live in Gloriavale with their mother and have been taught that he and all the outside world are evil and would be rejected from Heaven.
He admitted the thought had crossed his mind to steal away his youngest daughter Cherish, now 16, whom he has not met as she was born after he left Gloriavale.
"I'm always up for a challenge."
But said he would probably try to be more diplomatic in his attempts rather than copy his earlier raids.
He hoped Cherish would be able to somehow read the book and make up her own mind.
He was still angry with the manipulating way his father had controlled his life and said if his father had wanted to, he could have allowed his first wife out of Gloriavale to be with him and their children.
"That shows you the power of my father. And it all comes down to him not wanting me win."
This article was found at:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10568227
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Family of 14 walks out on Gloriavale religious commune
ReplyDeleteby Kurt Bayer, New Zealand Herald March 11, 2015
A family of 14 have walked out on a West Coast religious commune to start a new life after concluding they had been living in a "false system".
The family left cut-off Gloriavale Christian Community in Haupiri at the weekend.
They are staying with a family 300km away in Timaru and setting about reintegrating into society.
"It's a huge deal for them to stop wearing their community clothes and so they are going to transition slowly," said Liz Gregory, who is putting up the family.
When word of their bold move went around the South Canterbury town on Monday, donations soon began flooding in.
The family are said to have been "blown away" by the generosity of the local community after being gifted clothes, furniture, household goods, books and toys.
Two days ago, Mrs Gregory appealed on her Facebook page - which has since been deleted - for donations to help the family get back on their feet.
The team set up to help the family - known online as the Ben Canaan family - are no longer seeking donations after the massive response.
Supporters are no longer going ahead with plans for a Givealittle fundraising campaign.
However, the father James, who managed Gloriavale's self-sufficient dairy farm for 20 years, is seeking a job. The family also need a vehicle, said a spokeswoman who is helping them.
She said the family was "not interested" in speaking to the media today.
The reclusive Gloriavale Christian community, which currently has more than 500 members, was founded in 1969.
It relocated from its original site at Cust near Rangiora, where it was known as the Springbank Christian Community, to Haupiri on the West Coast in 1991.
But it has attracted much controversy over the years, particularly through its leader Neville Cooper, also known as Hopeful Christian, who was convicted of sexual abuse in 1994 and spent 11 months in prison.
There have been reports of several large families leaving the settlement in recent years.
However, with no birth control, the population is said to be still flourishing.
"This family came to believe that they were in a false system and have left 500 of their family and friends (the only ones they've ever known)," Mrs Gregory said.
"Hugely courageous ... they are very excited about starting life out here.
"They are feeling blessed, but are aware of the road ahead of them.
"The family are in great spirits, which is incredible, because what they have done is massive.
"There have been a couple of other small families leave in the past year, and it's a tough road ahead, but this is a great community."
James and Hope Ben Canaan today thanked the Marchwiel Reformed Baptist Church and wider Timaru community for helping them reintegrate back into society.
"It's been quite overwhelming and we offer our sincere thanks to everyone involved," said a statement released by the family.
"At this time we are requesting privacy so that we can settle into our new lives."
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11415552
Gloriavale police investigation: At least 60 people involved in 'harmful sexual behaviour
ReplyDeleteBy Kurt Bayer, NZ Herald September 16, 2021
A police investigation into sexual and physical abuse inside Christian community Gloriavale has identified at least 60 people involved in "harmful sexual behaviour", it's been revealed.
Police launched Operation Minneapolis last year, in partnership with Oranga Tamariki, after mounting concerns about the reclusive West Coast religious sect.
A former member, now aged 21, was today granted a discharge without conviction in Christchurch District Court after pleading guilty to three representative charges of indecent assault against boys at Gloriavale between 2015 and 2018 when he himself was a teenager.
The police summary of facts relating to his case reveals details of Operation Minneapolis, which was launched after police first received information on June 28 last year of an alleged sexual assault on an 11-year-old boy.
The next day police officers interviewed the alleged suspect, who identified "numerous victims".
During Operation Minneapolis there were two screening phases, which spanned all young boys aged between 7 and 16 at the community, which was founded in 1969.
"During this phase, in excess of 60 people were identified as being involved in harmful sexual behaviour as either children, young people or adults," says the police summary of facts.
"The investigation showed offending to span a number of years and identified historical similar boy-boy offending having occurred at some level in earlier generations of youth."
As part of the probe, the former member - who has since left the community - was charged with indecent assault.
Judge Mark Callaghan granted him final suppression today and a discharge without conviction.
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The facts of the case can be reported for the first time.
ReplyDeleteIt dates back to 2015, when the defendant was 15, and a victim who was 12-13.
They spent time helping tradesmen who were building the Gloriavale school building.
The pair started meeting up in several locations inside Gloriavale, including a crawl space above an electrical room in the new school building, and various bathrooms.
They took turns masturbating each other, the summary of facts says, before the defendant told the victim he was going to "black him out". Afterwards, the defendant woke him up and instructed him to black him out too.
The victim later told police there were between 10 and 15 incidents.
The second offending involved a victim aged 14-15 between June 2015 and June 2016 in a crawl space above the electrical room at Gloriavale's school building.
The third offending happened between May and September 2018 with a 14-year-old boy while they worked together in a shed referred to as the "bee-box factory".
Although normally used to build beehives, the shed was repurposed to make props for the community's bi-annual concert.
They would meet in secluded areas, the summary says, including underneath the concert stage.
When spoken to by police, the defendant said he was unable to move on from sexual offending that he had been subjected to himself.
"As it had 'lit a flame' within him, he wanted to carry on the behaviour," the summary says.
"The defendant became aware that he shared a common experience with the three victims, in that they all had been offended against by the same person.
"The defendant approached the victims and gradually engaged in conversation regarding this. The victims eventually agreed to continue the sexual behaviour with the defendant."
He denied practising "blacking out" but admitted to trying it on occasion.
In granting the discharge, Judge Callaghan said there was a low risk of the 21-year-old reoffending, and that a conviction would be out of proportion to the consequences of the offending.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-police-investigation-at-least-60-people-involved-in-harmful-sexual-behaviour/UXBCAKX7C5ALSSWK2DKHWBUATI/
Why are children working 70 hours a week at Gloriavale not 'slaves'?
ReplyDeleteJoanne Naish March 13 2022 New Zealand Stuff
Children who work for long hours at Gloriavale under threat of hell, being hit, starved or kicked out if they refuse are not slaves, a court has heard.
Three leavers have lodged a case in the Employment Court against the attorney-general and leaders of the West Coast Christian community.
Chief Judge Christina Inglis has reserved her decision into whether an employment relationship existed between Gloriavale leaders and the leavers when they worked in the community’s commercial businesses.
The former members, who were born in Gloriavale, described beginning work in the businesses aged 6. They said if they failed to work they were hit with implements such as rods, food was withheld and they were publicly shamed.
Counsel assisting the Employment Court and independent observer of the proceedings Robert Kirkness said in his closing submission the case had elements of slavery, but he submitted it amounted to forced labour.
Lawyers for Gloriavale told the court there were no employment relationships because the people worked for their shared faith-based beliefs to ensure the needs of the community were met.
Kirkness said the judge’s decision did not come down to a simple choice between employee and volunteer.
“The evidence of the different witnesses over the past two weeks makes it clear that human rights issues such as the prohibitions against slavery and forced labour are squarely before this court. Those issues assume particular importance to the extent they relate to children,” he said.
Kirkness said the evidence raised serious concerns about the after-school work which appeared to be forced child labour.
“In the light of the evidence given, the court could and should refer the matter to the appropriate entity for further investigation,” he said.
”Such a step is appropriate in the light of the court's jurisdiction to make such orders as it thinks fit in equity and good conscience, and in light of New Zealand's international obligations.”
He found the former members had a contractual working relationship with the community from the age of 15 when they became associate partners of the community’s Christian Partners Partnership – which provides labour to the community-owned businesses.
He said the court had jurisdiction under the Employment Relations Act to order any employment remedies, or if the judge found the contracts to be unlawful she could make orders under the Contract and Commercial Law Act.
He said from 15, they worked fulltime, and often more, in warehouse or factory facilities to manufacture products that were sold for profit. In return, they received the necessities of life, including food, clothing and shelter.
He said there was no evidence the three men as able-bodied young men had any choice about work, therefore the contract was unlawful.
Slavery is when someone actually owns you like a piece of property. Servitude is similar to slavery - you might live on the person's premises, work for them and be unable to leave, but they don't own you. Forced labour means you are forced to do work that you have not agreed to, under the threat of punishment.
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He said there were two factors at play in Gloriavale which amounted to slavery.
ReplyDeleteOne was their lack of control over the hours they worked, and the other the fact all profits went back to the community.
He said the transcript of the servants and shepherds meeting showed how much control the leaders had.
He said the workers were penalised by being forced to leave and cut off from their family if they did not work – something that amounted to forced labour.
“There is nothing in the evidence to suggest that an able-bodied 15-year-old was able to refuse to work and remain in Gloriavale,” he said.
However, he said “the situation does not rise to the level of slavery” because at 15 they had sufficient autonomy and maturity that the control exerted still did not amount to possession.
Ezra Hope, who was born in Gloriavale but not part of the court case, said the people at Gloriavale were slaves who lived in misery.
“Coercive control really is hard to grasp if you've never experienced it....Being born into the community puts you at a significant disadvantage. You can only choose to leave, but by the time you're of the age you are so conditioned it's near impossible,” he said.
He said the leaders gave him no choice where to work and refused his request to work with computers.
“From the age of 6 I was forced to work. What 6-year-old wants to work when there's no choice? I hated it. Playing? What is that?,” he said.
“I remember many, many afternoons without adequate warm clothing in the freezing, wet winter counting bolts, picking moss, rock picking, milking cows and plenty more ‘chores’. Sometimes getting up at 2am to get the cows in. There was no choice, do it or there would be consequences,” he said.
He had memories of being hit with a belt, pipe, wood and a willow cane. He was forced to go without food for three days aged 8 for taking some apples.
“I never wanted to run boilers or paint anything. I actually always wanted to be a movie director,” he said.
“No-one ever asked what I wanted to be growing up.”
This article is at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128028825/why-are-children-working-70-hours-a-week-at-gloriavale-not-slaves
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* Gloriavale leader captured on secret recording telling senior member to say he is 'nothing' and 'nobody' https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127980578/gloriavale-leader-captured-on-secret-recording-telling-senior-member-to-say-he-is-nothing-and-nobody
* Founder's son fails to give evidence for Gloriavale in Employment Court
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127917769/founders-son-fails-to-give-evidence-for-gloriavale-in-employment-court
* Gloriavale leaders reject slavery claims, say members work 'willingly' and 'lovingly'
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127872366/gloriavale-leaders-reject-slavery-claims-say-members-work-willingly-and-lovingly
* Gloriavale kids made to work days without sleep, one chained to steel post, court told
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127847907/gloriavale-kids-made-to-work-days-without-sleep-one-chained-to-steel-post-court-told
Landmark Gloriavale employment ruling could open door for thousands of dollars in back pay
ReplyDeleteJoanne Naish, May 10 2022, New Zealand Stuff
Former Gloriavale members who worked up to 70 hours a week for years were not volunteers, the Employment Court has ruled – a decision which could pave the way for them and others in the community to be compensated.
Three former workers brought the case against Gloriavale leaders, three of its businesses and the Labour Inspectorate after previous investigations found residents were not employees and therefore not protected by New Zealand employment laws.
Chief Judge Christina Inglis’ judgment released on Tuesday found the former members – Hosea Courage, Levi Courage and Daniel Pilgrim who were born in Gloriavale – were employees when they worked in the community’s commercial businesses from the age of 6.
“The evidence heard by the court, some of it uncontested or confirmed by Gloriavale’s witnesses, raises serious concerns across a broad range of subjects,” she said.
It is unclear what the decision means for the future of Gloriavale but opens the door for the Labour Inspectorate to enforce minimum employment standards in the community.
It’s also not yet known whether Gloriavale leaders will be forced to pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars in wages to those who have left the community. Those in the community are told to donate all their possessions back to the community.
Now the court has clarified the Labour Inspectorate’s jurisdiction it will work with the three plaintiffs to take forward enforcement action and calculate any arrears owed, national manager Stu Lumsden said – and will determine the impact on people beyond the trio.
“The inspectorate will also continue to assist the Employment Court as it seeks to determine whether women in certain roles at Gloriavale can be considered employees.”
If the workers were getting minimum wage from the age of 16, they would have been earning between $35,000 and $44,000 a year for 40 hours a week. However, Judge Inglis found they were working sometimes more than 70 hours a week.
The judge said the workers’ contribution to the community from working six days a week vastly exceeded the costs of providing them with the necessities of life.
Gloriavale’s “housemother” Charity Christian told the court that weekly food expenditure per person at Gloriavale was about $26 to $27, around $3.80 a day.
In comparison, the Department of Corrections budgets food at $5.60 per day per prisoner.
While there is no minimum age to start work in New Zealand, children are not allowed to work during school hours, between 10pm and 6am or in jobs that could cause them harm.
Judge Inglis said there was a significant power imbalance involved in the working relationship.
The children and their parents had no choice about what or when the children worked and if they did not work fast enough they were denied food and subjected to physical and psychological punishment, including being hit.
continued below
She said people in Gloriavale had little autonomy over what they thought, what they did, who they did it with, where they did it or how they did it.
ReplyDeleteBy 15, the workers were sometimes starting work at 3am and doing up to 70 hours a week, and on some occasions even more.
Standing outside the Christchurch’s justice precinct after the judgment was released, Hosea Courage said “exploitation” in Gloriavale “may not be able to be stopped unless it is closed down”.
Daniel Pilgram said he believed the Labour Inspectorate had been “hopeless” and failed to do its job.
“I understand it was going to be messy for them to step in and get involved, and I believe that’s why they didn’t, it was just a bit of a cop out really, so hopefully they will now start doing their job.”
Their priority was to see the law enforced for family and friends in Gloriavale, “so they are not being over-worked, so they have sick days, that they can make decisions about where they work”.
Glorivale’s businesses currently include a honey-making plant and a large-scale dairy farm which runs in excess of 3000 cows. The plaintiffs worked at Forest Gold Honey, Harvest Honey Ltd and petfood producer Apetiza Ltd.
Judge Inglis said it was clear Gloriavale owned substantial assets, including the purchase of a 3.115ha property at Lake Brunner for around $10m which was paid for through “belt tightening, via a reduced food budget and holiday time”.
“It is plain that the ready access to child labour constitutes a significant factor in the success of the Gloriavale business model,” she said.
She said the workers only received six days holiday a year and worked long hours under a distinct reluctance to allow time off work for illness or incapacity.
She said the serious consequences for people who did not work as expected was eternal damnation and to be expelled from the community they had been born in and thrown into a world they knew little about, were ill-equipped to live in, and which they had been brought up to believe was wrong and sinful.
continued below
She said the children left school at 15 and never set foot in a classroom again.
ReplyDelete“Despite the apparently positive reviews from the Education Review Office, the evidence disclosed that, in reality, what was termed a work experience programme was simply the transition into full time work within the Gloriavale businesses,” she said.
It was unclear what information ERO relied on to reach its conclusions, but they should be viewed with “significant caution”, she said.
An ERO spokeswoman said it would take time to consider the findings.
Its most recent review found the Gloriavale Christian School did not have regularly reviewed policies and procedures to provide a physically and emotionally safe place for students.
Gloriavale has been subject of several Government investigations by WorkSafe, Labour Inspectorate, Teaching Council, Police, Oranga Tamaraki and the Charities Services after allegations made by former members.
Chief judge Inglis’ decision laid bare failings by several Government agencies including the Education Review Office and the Labour Inspectorate but also found Gloriavale leaders coached workers to tell authorities they were happy and volunteers.
“Loud alarm bells ought, in my view, to have been ringing from even a cursory reading of “What We Believe” [which]...makes it very clear where the power lies; that the leadership group holds absolute power and control, including in relation to work, and that members of the community submit to the leaders; and that members were not to report concerns to external agencies,” she said.
The Labour Inspectors gave evidence confirming that they had “What We Believe”, and numerous other Gloriavale documents, when carrying out their investigations in 2020 and when completing a desktop review in 2017.
What We Believe expressly sets out that “those who will not work hard at what they are capable of doing should not be given anything to eat”.
She said future judgements would focus on whether the Labour Inspectorate breached any statutory duty to the plaintiffs by the way it concluded its investigation.
MBIE's Labour Inspectorate national manager Stu Lumsden said the Labour Inspectorate welcomed the clarity the decision provided, and it would now work to determine the impact to people beyond the three plaintiffs.
"The complaints raised to the Inspectorate over Gloriavale are serious which is why we have investigated the concerns raised with us to date and have undertaken multiple visits."
In a statement Oranga Tamariki business operations general manager Andrea Nichols said the organisation was working with children and their parents at Gloriavale to address the issues described in the decision.
Chief judge Inglis said her ruling would be referred to police to ascertain if slavery and forced labour was happening in the community. A police spokesperson said police would work with partner agencies to consider next steps.
Counsel for Gloriavale’s leaders have been approached for comment.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128597749/landmark-gloriavale-employment-ruling-could-open-door-for-thousands-of-dollars-in-back-pay
Westland Dairy could cancel Gloriavale's milk supply contract following evidence of child labour and worker exploitation
ReplyDeleteAmanda Cropp, May 15 2022 New Zealand Stuff
Evidence of worker exploitation and use of child labour at businesses run by the Gloriavale Christian Community could see them dumped by big customers.
Westland Dairy Company is “investigating legal avenues” to suspend milk collection from Gloriavale’s West Coast dairy farms.
The UMF honey Association board will consider cancelling UMF licences for Gloriavale’s Forest Gold and Lamohka honey brands, and its Moo Chews milk treats for children, and Pure Vitality deer velvet supplements also risk losing their Fernmark licences, a government-stamp of approval for exporters.
These moves follow a recent landmark Employment Court ruling in favour of three former community members who claimed they were employees rather than volunteers, and described children as young as six being hit, publicly shamed and starved if they did not work hard enough.
Professor of Ethics and Sustainability Leadership at AUT Marjo Lips-Wiersma says companies that continue to do business with Gloriavale are risking reputational damage in light of the recent court judgment.
“Now that it is clear that not only was child labour used, but such children suffered physical and psychological abuse, no company should want to be associated with Gloriavale.
“From a reputational perspective, they would apply the newspaper headline test. Do I want it to be reported that my company directly or indirectly profits from child labour and abuse?”
Westland Dairy chief executive Richard Wyeth welcomed the Employment Court decision, saying it would further support companies to protect the rights of children, employees and others across the entire supply chain.
“Dairy farms controlled by Gloriavale, like all Westland suppliers, are contractually obliged to comply with New Zealand employment law and standards, and to keep up-to-date employment records. Failure to do so could lead to termination of that contract.”
Westland Dairy, owned by Chinese Yili Group, is reviewing its contract with Gloriavale farms, and Wyeth says it would work through animal welfare and disposal of milk issues caused by an abrupt end to milk collection, but the volume of milk involved would have a minimal impact on company operations.
According to its annual financial statement to Charities Services, Gloriavale’s Christian Church Community Trust owns 2960 dairy cows, but since 2009 the trust has consistently reported it had no full or part-time employees, and 2021 it claimed 40 volunteers did 23,600 hours work over the previous year.
Members of the West Coast farming community were reluctant to speak on the record, but several said they had long had concerns about employment practices at Gloriavale, and wider issues around the treatment of the 550 or so residents, many of whom were children, and they were pleased to see something being done at last.
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One said that for many years Gloriavale businesses had been regarded as big contributors to the West Coast economy, but questioned at what cost to families who had left the community, and those who remained inside it.
ReplyDeleteAnother, although happy to see the local tide of public opinion turning, fears the financial impact of Westland Dairy refusing to take Gloriavale milk would see community members “eat porridge for six weeks”.
Considerable evidence of the key role children played in the community’s commercial enterprises came out during the court case.
Along with Gloriavale’s dairy farms, its honey, moss and pet food operations came under scrutiny.
Employment Court chief judge Christina Inglis said in her decision the duties described by the plaintiffs could not be classed as “chores” required of a child by a caregiver.
“It was laborious, often dangerous, required physical exertion over extended periods of time, and it was for commercial benefit. The work was not assigned by the plaintiffs’ parents, but by the Gloriavale leadership.”
Levi Courage, one of the three young Gloriavale leavers who took the Employment Court case, gave evidence of doing morning milkings from the age of six or seven.
He had worked before and after school in the Moo Chews business, and when the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) conducted a quality assurance audit on the Forest Gold honey business, he was told to hide in a chemical store for three hours until the auditor was gone, because at 14 he was an underage worker.
As a 15-year-old he had put in up to 70 hours a week at the honey plant during peak season starting as early as 3am, and had ended up exhausted and with bleeding hands after working 50 hours without sleep to fill 200,000 jars in three days.
A 17-year-old who lost part of three fingers working in Gloriavale’s beebox factory in 2019 dropped his Employment Court case last year amid allegations he had come under undue pressure from family members still living at Gloriavale, and from others wanting him to proceed with it.
Gloriavale also has a rendering plant, Value Proteins, which is licensed by the Ministry for Primary Industries to produce bone meal from by products trucked in from meat plants and abattoirs around the country.
Value Proteins is a member of the Meat Industry Association and chief executive Sirma Karapeeva said it encourages members to “meet high ethical standards and labour practices at all times”.
Court witness Faithful Disciple described how a Gloriavale leader told him not to use the words “employee”, “employer” or “wages” when WorkSafe officials visited the meal plant in late 2020, and he was ordered to keep himself busy, so officials were unable to talk to him.
Others witnesses told of people being schooled to say they were volunteers when external agencies questioned their work status, and were they told not to record more than eight hours work daily.
continued below
The use of volunteers was central to the case before the Employment Court and the judgment noted that volunteer status could be justified only if the work was performed for non-economic reasons, and without competing with paid employees.
ReplyDelete“The fact that the same kind of work is usually performed for pay can be an indicator that it is economic in nature, and it also means that unfair competition with paid employees is likely. The work that the plaintiffs were doing fits that description.”
Although Gloriavale could be liable for millions in unpaid wages, it faces other commercial consequences.
Honey brands Forest Gold and Lamohka have licences issued by the Unique Mānuka Factor Honey Association, well recognised internationally and regarded as vital for Manuka honey exporters, but they may be in jeopardy as a result of the court findings.
Association chief executive John Rawcliffe said the UMF board had the power to terminate licences and a meeting at the end of the month would decide whether the Gloriavale brands met the terms of their licences, and association’s code of practice and values.
Apiculture New Zealand represents about 2500 hobbyist and commercial beekeepers, and honey exporters.
Chief executive Karin Kos said purchases were increasingly driven by ethical considerations, and the employment issues at Gloriavale could be damaging.
“We have an excellent international reputation for our honey and this does have the potential to undermine the confidence of our consumers.”
Fernmark is reviewing export licences held by Moo Chews and Pure Vitality because licensees must comply with all New Zealand laws and relevant regulations, and “be of good character and repute” in order to retain their government endorsement.
Fernmark chief executive David Downs said the issue was complicated by the fact that Moo Chews and Pure Vitality were not among Gloriavale companies included as parties in the Employment Court case, and it may take about a month to work through a decision.
Moo Chews last year experienced a backlash when it was revealed as the manufacturer of the kids milk-based snack, leading two distributors to pull out when they learned where the product was made because of concerns about employment practices.
Moo Chews claimed production at Gloriavale company Alpine Health Manufacturing was halted while an investigation was completed, and it had since resumed.
No details of the investigation or its findings were provided, and in a written statement Moo Chews said the Gloriavale had challenges like any community.
“Work there is ongoing, but leaders and managers are committed to upholding and protecting the health, wellbeing and happiness of all the members there.”
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/128627522/westland-dairy-could-cancel-gloriavales-milk-supply-contract-following-evidence-of-child-labour-and-worker-exploitation
Gloriavale woman describes her daughter's tragic death in new film
ReplyDeleteJoanne Naish, Stuff Co. New Zealand July 10 2022
Helpless, severely sleep-deprived and shut in a room where the door handles had been disabled, Sharon Ready was unable to save her cherished youngest daughter from dying before her eyes.
The Gloriavale woman, who has 13 children and 71 grandchildren, has opened up for the first time about the death of her 14-year-old daughter Prayer in a new documentary film called Gloriavale, which will be premiered as part of the Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2022.
“Being conditioned for so many years to submission, submission, submission, when you’re in a crisis you don’t act. She kept looking at me and I said ‘I know, Mummy doesn’t know what to do’,” she said.
“She went unconscious. Her whole body shook and I knew that her heart had stopped.”
Prayer Ready was the focus of a Stuff Circuit investigation in 2016, into her death from asphyxiation after she choked on a piece of meat, while in an isolation room used by the leaders to prevent the spread of illness in the community by disabling the door handles on both sides.
When help arrived, people had to climb in and out through the window.
Ready, who had been climbing in and out of the window and looking after sick children without sleep for 36 hours, said she did not cut up Prayer’s meat due to her sleep-deprived state.
The focus of the film is the civil court case taken by Ready’s son John, which was settled in mediation in April 2021. It led to the Public Trust carrying out reviews of the trust governing the Gloriavale Christian Community and reporting to the High Court for 18 months.
It also follows the story of Ready’s daughter Virginia, who left the community with her husband and children because of how the leaders were mishandling complaints of sexual abuse. She said they allowed perpetrators the opportunity to reoffend and blamed victims.
The leadership of Gloriavale has publicly apologised for its role in “failing to prevent and protect victims of labour exploitation and sexual abuse”.
When Sharon Ready became a plaintiff in the civil case while living in the community, the leaders gave her room to another family and stopped providing her meals. She still lives on the property with her husband in a room above a workshop and refuses to leave.
“I’ve accepted God’s will, but I’m not ready to leave the place that [Prayer] is buried,” she says in the film.
Ready said, in an interview with Stuff, she did not want to leave her home of 50 years, partly because of her five children and 35 grandchildren who are still in the community.
“I have been on my knees just praying and asking God for his guidance to know what should I do. I’m not doing the film to earn sympathy from people or to earn money. Our family are survivors, and we are doing well despite our circumstances,” she said.
continued below
Ready refused despite immense pressure from the leaders, to abandon her children after they left the community and feels torn between those on the inside and those on the outside.
ReplyDelete“I have seen so much sorrow and so much pain from families being torn apart... my children with their whole families leaving the community... I can’t just walk away from them when they were such in turmoil over the uncertainty they faced starting a new life on the outside and I couldn’t leave the community to go with them.”
She said the film helped her understand why her oldest son John was so angry when he was kicked out of the community for questioning the leaders in 2017. He fought for three years to get his wife and children out.
Ready was 15 when she joined Glorivale with her mother and siblings after her father died.
She says in the beginning the members were allowed their own clothes, homes and money. That was all taken away progressively as founder, the late Hopeful Christian, tightened his grip on people’s freedoms.
Gloriavale filmmaker Noel Smyth said Ready felt guilt over her daughter’s death, but it was a result of the extreme pressure and exhaustion women in Gloriavale experience.
Given Ready still lives in the community, Smyth said he was surprised she agreed to be interviewed.
“When we met Sharon she was a very different person to the person she is now. We have seen her just grow in confidence and find her own voice, which has been just amazing to see.”
The filmmakers were given access to a treasure trove of old footage from the Ready family, one of the few families with access to a camera.
Filmmaker Fergus Grady said he wanted people to see the film and “make their own judgment” as well as support the work of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust.
“If people start streaming out of Gloriavale you’ve got a refugee crisis on your hands, with 600 people inside,” he said.
The film has been selected for Cannes Film Festival Docs-in-progress and examines institutional failures that have enabled human rights abuses to continue inside Gloriavale for decades, he said.
John Ready, Sharon Ready and Virginia Courage will be part of a Q&A with the filmmakers and their advocates at the premiere in Christchurch’s Isaac Royal Theatre on August 6 and at screenings in Auckland and Wellington. Following the film festival season, it will open in cinemas throughout Aotearoa.
This article is at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/129196623/gloriavale-woman-describes-her-daughters-tragic-death-in-new-film
READ MORE:
* Dark side of Gloriavale 'needs to be brought to the light', long-term resident says
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/127860220/dark-side-of-gloriavale-needs-to-be-brought-to-the-light-longterm-resident-says
* Lawyer says legal proceedings seek to change culture that ‘breeds sexual predators’ at Gloriavale
https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/124211731/lawyer-says-legal-proceedings-seek-to-change-culture-that-breeds-sexual-predators-at-gloriavale
* Former Gloriavale man reunited with family inside the community
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/121903323/former-gloriavale-man-reunited-with-family-inside-the-community
Gloriavale man on trial for 20 child sex offences
ReplyDeleteby Joanne Naish, The Post November 19, 2023
A man is on trial for 20 charges of sexual offending against children spanning more than 30 years at the Gloriavale Christian community.
Jonathan Benjamin, 58, is facing a jury trial in the Greymouth District Court.
He has pleaded not guilty to four charges of sexual violation by rape, seven charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, five charges of indecent assault on a girl under 12, two charges of indecent assault on a girl aged between 12 and 16 and two charges of indecent assault.
The charges date from 1986 to 2017 in both Cust and Haupiri, where the community were living at the time of the offending.
The offending was alleged to have happened during the community movie nights, in bedrooms, in the kitchen, in a shower, during choir practice and when he was babysitting in the Christian community.
He was a member of the community until he was arrested in April 2021. He had been granted interim name suppression which lapsed on Monday.
The trial is set down for three weeks and the jury of six men and six women were sworn in on Monday before Judge Mark Callaghan. The Crown will call 12 witnesses including the community's overseeing shepherd Howard Temple and religious group expert Heather Kavan.
Benjamin's lawyer Josh Lucas and Crown prosecutor Kerry White will begin their opening addresses to the jury on Tuesday.
Benjamin pleaded guilty to one charge of indecently assaulting a girl aged between 12 and 16 at Cust between 1991 and 1993. Judge Callaghan convicted him on that charge.
Benjamin previously pleaded guilty to 11 charges.
The guilty pleas were on four charges of indecent assault on a female aged between 12 and 16, two of indecent assault on a boy aged between 12 and 16, one of unlawful sexual connection with a female aged between 12 and 16, and four of indecent assault on a female aged under 12.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350113897/gloriavale-man-trial-20-child-sex-offence
Arresting Gloriavale's leader Howard Temple could 'destabilise' community, report claims
ReplyDeleteby Caley Callahan Newshub November 23, 2023
A report obtained by Newshub shows concern from a government official over Gloriavale's ability to meet protection measures for its residents.
It suggests the arrest of leader Howard Temple for historical sex charges could destabilise the reclusive Christian community's continuity and leadership structure.
But the head of the Gloriavale leavers support group said the 83-year-old is still very much in charge - even though he's living outside the commune.
Concerns Howard Temple could declare bankruptcy, so he doesn't have to pay Gloriavale employees
The Overseeing Shepherd is the most senior role within Gloriavale. That role is still performed by Temple - a man who faces multiple sex charges and who is believed to be living outside the commune.
"Stephen Standfast has been given a few more key responsibilities but he has no power to make changes. Everything will be run through Howard as normal," said Liz Gregory from the Gloriavale Leavers' Support Trust.
A report authored the day after Temple was arrested said new measures to protect the Lake Haupiri residents could be jeopardised without his leadership.
Those measures came about after a 2022 Employment Court decision found in favour of three leavers who argued they were employees while living at Gloriavale.
As a result, the Cabinet set up a multi-agency response.
Five outcomes were agreed with Temple and the leadership around residents' rights and the reporting of physical and sexual abuse.
"I'm not actually convinced that the five key outcomes are really going to create the change needed at Gloriavale, I think it's much deeper than that," Gregory told Newshub.
The report highlights the key risks that could derail that work, including:
1. Loss of trust and confidence in Government agencies.
2. Destabilisation of Gloriavale's leadership structure.
3. The impact further negative publicity may have on Gloriavale's commercial relationships; and
4. An escalation of community members looking to leave.
"The risk of destabilisation is high but not just because of Howard's arrest, there's a cumulative thing going on here, there are so many court actions," said Gregory.
"I think many loyal community members believe it's honestly a storm in a teacup and it will all be OK."
In August, Temple pleaded not guilty to historical indecent assault charges.
He is due to reappear in court in January.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/11/arresting-gloriavale-s-leader-howard-temple-could-destabilise-community-report-claims.html
Employment Court decides Overseeing Shepherd is employer in Gloriavale case
ReplyDeleteJoanne Naish, The Press December 14, 2023
The Employment Court has ruled that a group of women who took a case against Gloriavale leaders were employed by the Overseeing Shepherd.
It means that former employees of the community can seek compensation and back pay from the current Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple.
Employment Court Chief Judge Christina Inglis released her reserved decision on Friday. In July 2023, the judge found the plaintiffs, women who worked in the community’s kitchens, laundries and schools, were employees and not volunteers.
The earlier decision meant members had rights under employment law, including minimum working conditions and pay. It superseded a Labour Inspectorate investigation which concluded members were not employees.
In her reserved decision, Chief Judge Inglis said the employer was the Overseeing Shepherd because he was the ultimate controlling force over work and assets in the community.
From the inception of the Gloriavale Community until his death on May 15, 2018, the Overseeing Shepherd was Hopeful Christian. Howard Temple assumed the role on that date. When Temple dies, it will be Stephen Standfast.
Brian Henry, who led the legal team representing the women, welcomed the decision. Particularly the judge’s finding that it was the role of Overseeing Shepherd that had ultimate authority, not an individual occupying that position.
“Chief Judge Inglis is very clear in her decision that it is the role of the Overseeing Shepherd not the individual which carried the ultimate responsibility within the community.
“[The decision] paves the way for us to continue the fight for justice for our clients which includes filing in the courts against the Labour Inspectorate and seeking financial redress for loss of wages and compensation for the terrible breaches of law and appalling treatment these women have had to endure.”
The Labour Inspectorate was waiting for the decision before it could work with the plaintiffs on enforcement action and calculate arrears owed. It would also be able to determine the impact on members beyond the nine plaintiffs.
Chief Judge Inglis said if the plaintiffs wanted to pursue a claim for compensation, lost wages and penalties, fresh proceedings would need to be filed with the Employment Relations Authority.
continued below
She directed the parties to consider mediation.
ReplyDeleteShe rejected Gloriavale leaders’ claims that any monies owed by Hopeful Christian as employer would need to be paid out of his estate and that if he had no money on his death, the debt would be unrecoverable.
She said all the rights and obligations of Christian transferred to Temple.
The judge said the plaintiffs’ claim against the Labour Inspector for breach of statutory duty, which the Labour Inspector opposes, should be timetabled through to a hearing.
She said the employer of the group of men who successfully argued in the Employment Court in May 2022 that they were employees when they worked in the community was still to be determined.
Meanwhile, the leaders have asked for leave to appeal the women’s case in the Court of Appeal. They were refused on four grounds, but the court has asked for more information on whether the women worked for “intangible benefits” and if they were volunteers who did not expect to be rewarded.
Chief Judge Inglis found the women were not volunteers, and expected to be and were rewarded for their work through being allowed to remain in the community, receiving the necessities of life, religious support and guidance and the promise of spiritual redemption.
She said they had no choice about where or when they worked and the serious consequences for people who did not work as expected were eternal damnation and to be expelled from the community they had been born in and thrown into a world they knew little about, were ill-equipped to live in, and which they had been brought up to believe was wrong and sinful.
Chief Judge Inglis said it was clear Gloriavale owned substantial assets, including the purchase of a 3.115ha property at Lake Brunner for around $10 million which was paid for through “belt-tightening, via a reduced food budget and holiday time”.
https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350132310/employment-court-decides-overseeing-shepherd-employer-gloriavale-case
Rosie Overcomer shares her story about growing up in Gloriavale
ReplyDeleteBy Grace Odlum, New Zealand Herald March 11, 2024
When Rosie Overcomer looked at her newborn daughter’s face for the first time, she was overwhelmed with fear.
She was afraid of her daughter having the same upbringing as she had, in a place where women weren’t valued as highly as men – Gloriavale, the isolated Christian community on the West Coast.
“I looked at her in her cot and thought, ‘She’s not safe here’.”
Rosie visited Paraparaumu last week to tell her story about life in Gloriavale, and leaving the sect, at the Kāpiti Chamber of Commerce’s International Women’s Day luncheon, which attracted more than 200 people.
When Rosie was born, her life had already been decided for her – from being baptised, committing herself to the church, getting married and having babies.
She was the sixth of 10 children, in a family that was considered quite low in Gloriavale’s hierarchy.
She was also a woman and “in Gloriavale, the structure is kind of men at the top and women at the bottom”.
The leaders were at the top, and Rosie said she had always seen them as people who knew everything, so “who was I to question them?”.
“I truly believed the leaders were something special,” she told the luncheon guests.
She recalled learning Bible verses at school and said she could recite at least one whole book of the Bible.
Her teachers tried to make sure that, if anyone was good at something, it was squashed, she said.
She left school at 14 and started working, but there were big limitations on what jobs she could do because she was a woman.
She wasn’t allowed to work on the dairy farm, and her choices were essentially limited to kitchen work and laundry.
Eventually, the leaders decided she was fit for marriage and she knew they were going to pick one of two men.
She was certain she didn’t want to marry one of them. Fortunately, the other – her now husband Elijah – proposed to her and they had three of their six children in Gloriavale.
However, as time passed, the couple started to question things in the sect. “We, over time, thought ‘There’s a lot of things not right here’.”
They compiled a list of questions they wanted to ask the leaders, including some surrounding the jailing of leader Neville Cooper (known as Hopeful Christian). They were told he was arrested for preaching their faith but in fact he was convicted of indecently assaulting young women.
They took their questions to one of the leaders but he refused to speak to Rosie because of her gender.
“He sent me away – he said, ‘I don’t talk to women about those things, I’ll take your husband on a drive’, and then my husband never came back.”
continued below
Elijah was kicked out of Gloriavale but the leaders told Rosie he had left willingly and didn’t love her or their children any more.
ReplyDelete“You might look at that and say you would know, and I did know, but I had grown up in a place where the leaders’ word was my own, they knew better, so who was I to question.”
That was the start of a period when the leaders tried to divide Rosie and her husband.
Once Elijah returned, the leaders had a long confessional that everyone attended, which allowed people to confess their sins – but Rosie said it was to instil fear.
It wasn’t long before Elijah was kicked out again, this time for helping someone to leave.
After weeks of begging for a phone call with him, Rosie was given a list of things she had to say, including telling him she didn’t love him and didn’t want to see him again unless he did as the leaders said.
The couple tried to meet in private but it went wrong and Rosie and her children were taken away on a plane and hidden from Gloriavale for many weeks, in an effort by the leaders to split her from Elijah.
She prayed he would find them – and he did. He called one day and they decided to return to Gloriavale, but they were becoming more sceptical.
“I just said, if the leaders can lie to us about Hopeful being in prison, and the reasons why he’s there ... what else in our lives is a lie?”
The pair decided then that they would leave, but it was a difficult decision for Rosie.
She said that, when her brother left Gloriavale, the sect edited him out of all their family photos and no one was allowed to talk about him.
“This was a hard decision for me to leave because I knew first my character would be absolutely destroyed in front of everybody and then I would be deleted.”
She said parents took the blame for their children leaving and were shamed for it, which was her biggest worry.
When the day came for them to leave, they had a long meeting with the leaders, in which Elijah was shamed for wanting to leave and was told he was the devil.
The leaders tried to convince Rosie to stay by telling her that her children’s souls depended on her staying and she would be sending them to hell by leaving – but their threats were a huge red flag to her.
“I’ve never had so much clarity ... as I’d had then.”
She was firm on her decision to leave with Elijah, and the leaders turned on her. “I can only depict it as hungry wolves.”
The couple went to Christchurch, as Elijah had two siblings living there, but on the way the van broke down and Rosie feared it was a sign from God that they shouldn’t have left.
Elijah went to look for a phone but couldn’t reach anyone. The man whose phone he had borrowed then lent him a BMW, telling him to return it when he could.
“And that was really the beginning of the generosity and love of people outside.”
That was more than 10 years ago, and now Rosie and Elijah have six children and manage a dairy farm near Fairlie, along with several other business ventures.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kapiti-news/news/rosie-overcomer-shares-her-story-about-growing-up-in-gloriavale/WOX2TEFHMNEWNN2446JNHZF3M4/
Jonathan Benjamin sentenced to more than 11 years' jail for sexual offending against Gloriavale children
ReplyDeleteby Anna Sargent , Reporter RNZ March 18, 2024
Victims of a sexual predator in the Gloriavale Christian community who has now been jailed have described him as an opportunist who used the vulnerability of his victims to exploit them.
Jonathan Benjamin was sentenced in the Greymouth District Court to 11 years and 10 months in prison for 26 charges of sexual offending against children - the youngest only five or six years old at the time.
His offending spanned more than three decades from the 1980s and his charges related to nine victims at the reclusive community during its time on the West Coast and earlier, when it was based in North Canterbury.
Virginia Courage was sexually violated by Jonathan Benjamin when she was a child in Gloriavale, and she waived her right to name suppression.
Courage told Judge Mark Callaghan she had relived her abuse in every moment of her life.
"I was a child, a frightened child, an alone child, a hurt child and a broken child. A child with no words. Please don't forget that child."
She told Benjamin she felt - and still feels - completely betrayed.
"You can't hide anymore. You're a predator, preying on the young, the innocent the vulnerable. The abuse on myself and others was deliberate, premeditated and devised," she said.
Another survivor broke down in tears in court, saying she had felt frustrated her whole life.
'I have PTSD from the abuse. In Gloriavale we were taught to put other people's needs before our own. We were taught our whole life to never say no," she said.
Courage said she was pleased with the sentence given, but was aggrieved at how long it took to get to that point.
"There's a part of me that has terrible sadness because why did it have to be 30 years later? And that just shows the incredible lack in Gloriavale and the lack that's actually still there because it's the same leadership group that were leaders when I was a child," she said.
Benjamin's lawyer Josh Lucas said Benjamin had a significant amount of remorse.
"He wants to come out of this sentence a new person, he wants to come out of the sentence rehabilitated, treated, received counselling, so that when he does get released he is not a danger to the community," he said.
Lucas described how Benjamin had had a rough time in prison; he said he had been assaulted and had been through a number of cellmates.
"Mr Benjamin essentially is a celebrity in prison, because not just of the offending, but of course through his connection through Gloriavale. That's going to haunt him- some people may say quite rightly- for the rest of his time in jail."
Judge Callaghan said reading the victim impact statements was sobering.
He said there was an age disparity, and significant power imbalance between Benjamin and his victims
"In respect of an aggravating feature is the power imbalance which males held over females at Gloriavale. This power imbalance gave Mr Benjamin not only the opportunity, but almost the right to offend as he did, with little or no consequence for his actions being taken into account within the community."
Benjamin was a member of Gloriavale until he was arrested in 2021.
A jury last year found him found guilty of 11 charges of sexual offending, and he previously admitted 15 similar charges.
https://amp.rnz.co.nz/article/ddfeb415-48ca-434b-99a8-5d4ba9e23b9a
Documentary series Escaping Utopia to reveal how former residents fled Gloriavale
ReplyDeleteTV Guide
Stuff New Zealand, March 13, 2024
Local documentary Escaping Utopia explores the planning that goes into clandestine escapes from Gloriavale, with the help of the Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust. Screening across three nights, the series reveals new information from former and current members of the controversial religious community and seeks to answer long-held questions. Producer and co-director Natalie Malcon explains how Escaping Utopia came about and what she hopes to achieve with the series.
What prompted you to tell this story?
I was working on Heaven And Hell: The Centrepoint Story, a documentary about another notorious New Zealand cult, when I started growing interested in exploring a documentary about Gloriavale. While on the surface Centrepoint and Gloriavale may seem quite different, scratch the surface and there are many parallels. But whilst the Centrepoint documentary was a retrospective story about its implosion, here we have Gloriavale, very much a contemporary story.
Gloriavale began before Centrepoint and yet here it is still flourishing many decades after Centrepoint was shut down. Hearing the harrowing stories of the children who grew up in Centrepoint and knowing there are hundreds of children currently living inside Gloriavale was a definite driver behind wanting to tell this story. In fact some of the participants in the Centrepoint documentary were motivated strongly to tell their stories because they really hoped by doing so, and helping to shine a light on what it’s like to grow up in a cult or ‘group think’ environment that they could somehow help the people of Gloriavale.
I think one of the most gratifying moments of my career was a conversation I had while filming the Gloriavale documentary when I was told by a young Gloriavale woman that she had watched the Centrepoint documentary when she was still living in Gloriavale (on a phone that had been smuggled into her). It was a monumental thing for her to realise that there were actually people in the outside world that could relate to her if she left.
I can only imagine what it is going to be like for a young woman in Gloriavale to watch this series. I really hope as many of them as possible do watch, and that through that they will realise there is a lot of aroha, help and support out here for them. That’s the motivation.
Was it difficult to persuade people to take part? How many were you able to talk to and how many do you estimate have escaped via The Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust?
I don’t like trying to persuade people to participate in my documentaries. I want to help people tell their stories when they are ready to tell them. But it turned out I was spoilt for choice.
Every person who has left Gloriavale has family or loved ones still inside. That’s a fact. And the majority of them want to do something to help. There is a resistance movement growing as more people leave and they all want to do their bit to expose the truth about life inside Gloriavale.
We met dozens of leavers in the course of making this documentary and could have cast it many, many times over with all the warm, smart, perceptive people we met. We are absolutely thrilled with the cast we landed with and can’t wait for New Zealanders to have their misconceptions about what people from Gloriavale are like totally turned upside down.
continued below
The Gloriavale Leavers’ Support Trust and the wider network estimates they have helped over 200 people in their leaving journey in the past several years. But to put that in perspective, the average Gloriavale family has about 12 children. There are about 600 people still living inside Gloriavale – about 350 of them are children – so there are still more people living inside than out.
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of lengths do people go to in order to leave Gloriavale?
There is a growing resistance movement on the outside that casually call themselves the ‘Underground Network’. These are neighbours, former members, lawyers, media and just members of the public that want to help. To leave Gloriavale is much like being a refugee – most don’t have bank accounts, drivers’ licences, passports.
Many have never even handled money, never caught a bus. One of our contributors had only ever been to Greymouth a handful of times in her life for dental appointments – that was her only tiny window to the outside world, so she had never seen phones or ATMs or escalators.
She had never had her hair cut, worn anything but her uniform from birth, hadn’t even been to the supermarket. So to say leaving is difficult is a huge understatement.
Add to that the psychological barriers they have – they are raised to believe that leaving means eternal damnation which is a fate worse than death. So the process of leaving can take many years.
I have heard stories of very elaborate escapes in the dead of night involving multiple people on the outside and intricate planning, or fathers sneaking back in to get their wives and children out. That’s what some people have had to do to find their freedom.
What do you think viewers will find most surprising about the Leavers’ stories?
I can’t wait for viewers to see the fabulous, fearless and incredibly inspiring cast we have assembled. To our shame as a nation – and certain media have fed this – Gloriavale people have almost been de-humanised, the butt of our jokes. Well this documentary is going to dismantle those misconceptions. There is not a meek, mild or ‘weak minded’ character in this series.
One of our contributors was in a previous documentary where she was not allowed to be herself. So this is her opportunity to actually speak her truth (and she is just such a kick-ass cool woman). These are people who for the most part have been indoctrinated from birth.
They have all suffered abuse of one form or another, and yet they are not bitter or wanting revenge. Their motivation is simple – they want to help their loved ones still inside Gloriavale. Viewers will also be shocked at the things our country has allowed to take place, hidden in plain sight for 50 years.
What do you hope the audience takes away from Escaping Utopia?
I think it will be impossible to ever see Gloriavale in the same light after watching this series. We have put a lot of work into trying to really dig into the psychology of Gloriavale, so we hope the wider audience will have a much deeper understanding of why there are 600 people still there – and that it really is not as simple as just walking out. The psychological prison is much harder to escape than the physical one.
Escaping Utopia, TVNZ 1, Sunday March 24 to Tuesday March 26
see links and photos embedded in this article at:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/culture/350209936/documentary-series-escaping-utopia-reveal-how-former-residents-fled-gloriavale
Gloriavale: Leading journalist doubts community can be reformed
ReplyDeleteBy Ryan Boswell, 1News New Zealand April 3, 2024
A leading journalist on cults doubts Gloriavale can be reformed and says it needs to be closed down.
Anke Richter has been researching cults for more than a decade and is the author of Cult Trip: Inside the world of coercion & control. The book looks at "how and why cults attract, entrap, and destroy otherwise ordinary people".
She told 1News that sometimes it can be difficult to spot what a cult looks like but says with Gloriavale it's obvious, given the charismatic leader, the high level of control, the uniformity, and the lack of individuality.
"As we know now and have known for a long time the exploitation, the level of abuse, the coercion, the enslaving of people, one hundred per cent that's a cult."
Richter's comments come after the Gloriavale Leavers' Trust released a discussion document, where it asks former residents what needs to happen if the West Coast commune continues and what a suitable ending would look like.
Trust manager Liz Gregory said the document does not seek to establish whether reform or closure is a preferred path, but rather what leavers would like to see if either of those options play out.
In response, a Gloriavale community spokesman said they were looking to the future.
"Although the views of leavers and the Leavers' Trust have value in an informational sense, they need to consult with Gloriavale members before making strategic announcements for Gloriavale's future."
"The community remains committed to working with the New Zealand Government and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure that Gloriavale is sustainable for future generations, which is the appropriate course of action," the spokesman said.
The West Coast commune has faced years of allegations of forced labour, slavery, and sexual and physical abuse, with the current Overseeing Shepherd Howard Temple facing charges of indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has elected a judge alone trial.
Richter said given the level of control and the lack of any autonomy, she struggles to see how Gloriavale can change for the better.
"You have been indoctrinated all your life that the outside world is evil and the devil is out to get you.
"There's a lot of mistrust of authorities from the outside, doctors, therapists, social workers.
"People in Gloriavale are so steeped in the belief that it's always your faith that affects all problems, so to even seek help for some physical problems, let alone mentally, is such a big leap," Richter said.
New Zealand's judiciary, the Government, and public agencies are being asked to take the issue more seriously and to "get some cult education".
Richter said there should be a minister not just for Gloriavale but for abusive groups across the board "because there are so many other groups and people who don't get the same publicity".
It's estimated there are dozens of groups like Gloriavale in New Zealand, including those from overseas who have branches here.
"There are about 100,000 New Zealanders somewhat affected. That means if someone has disappeared into a group and left a family behind, or someone comes out of a group, it affects the whole family," Richter said.
If Gloriavale were to close, then Richter said a proper resettlement programme would need to be set up, similar to what's offered to refugees.
She said despite being from New Zealand and speaking English, Gloriavale residents have less understanding of life on the outside than people who have arrived from other countries.
see links and video embedded in this article at:
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Gloriavale: Leaders respond to suggestions community should close
ReplyDeleteBy Ryan Boswell, 1News New Zealand April 3, 2024
A former Gloriavale resident believes the commune's leadership is manipulative, and "the only option is to shut the place down for the sake of the kids".
Theo Pratt contributed to a discussion document put forward by the Gloriavale Leavers' Trust, which asked ex-members what would happen if the West Coast sect continued and what a suitable ending would look like.
"Its purpose is so the Government can see what leavers want for the future of Gloriavale, but I think the biggest purpose that needs to come from the document is that the only option is for Gloriavale to be shut down.
"I want the leaders to be accountable for their actions, and I want those children to be free to have the rights that every other New Zealander has. The only way that will happen is for that to be shut down," Pratt said.
"I can't imagine a healthy Gloriavale. The abuse is intergenerational."
In a statement to 1News, a Gloriavale community spokesman said they were looking to the future.
"Although the views of leavers and the Leavers' Trust have value in an informational sense, they need to consult with Gloriavale members before making strategic announcements for Gloriavale's future."
"The community remains committed to working with the New Zealand Government and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure that Gloriavale is sustainable for future generations, which is the appropriate course of action," the spokesman said.
Pratt left the commune eight years ago and recently appeared in the TVNZ documentary Escaping Utopia.
She went to Gloriavale's offshoot in India to find her sister, Precious, one of five women born in Gloriavale who now had children in India.
The leader of the Indian commune was filmed by a hidden camera saying: "A lot of Indian men will force themselves onto a lot of women" and that "it was part of the culture".
Pratt said since the documentary aired, her family has spoken to Precious and they've had feedback from the leader.
"It hasn't been the nicest feedback, of course, but it seems that he's watched the doco, which is what we wanted.
"We wanted him to have his own chance to change things, and if he was genuine about caring for those women and their well-being, he would've," Pratt said.
Last week, senior Gloriavale leader Peter Righteous said the West Coast commune was in "constant contact with our brethren in India and have heard no complaints from them on these issues".
The Gloriavale Leavers' Trust has been urging people to write to their local politicians to demand action.
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https://www.1news.co.nz/2024/04/03/gloriavale-leaders-respond-to-suggestions-community-should-close/