The latest news about Gloriavale has upset many of us. We’re talking about the lives and safety of children who have no choice to be in a cult, and no protection. This is why you’re not reading our regular newsletter announcements today but a combined call for accountability to our government that continuously fails to solve the massive cult problem in Aotearoa. It’s in plain sight and truly disturbing.
NO JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS – BUT PR-STUNT?
A quick recap: Gloriavale’s former leader Howard Temple, who sexually molested girls in his community for 20 years and pleaded guilty to 12 charges, won’t be going to jail. This was met with outrage by Gloriavale leavers like Pearl Valor who spoke for many of his victims: “They are really affected by this and will live with this their whole lives, and they have had no justice.”
Days later, media outlets exposed that Social Development Minister Louise Upston had visited the fundamentalist Christian community in January to check on their child safety, but only spoke with the leadership – never with any survivors. Virginia Courage called out the “PR stunt“, followed by lawyer Dennis Gates who is asking the Minister to resign, along with others (scroll down).
He had briefed Upston on Gloriavale in 2024 when she was an MP – which she ignored. But there’s more.
FORCED FEEDING AND SUFFOCATING OF CHILDREN
The NZ Herald reported last week that babies’ mouths and noses were covered at Gloriavale to keep them from crying during four-hour church meetings. At least one baby had to be resuscitated. These disciplinary measures were widely used and community policy – because late founder Hopeful Christian, a jailed sex offender himself, hated the sound of crying children. Also being investigated by “Operation Moonshine” is the force-feeding of young children, including their vomit.
This brings back painful memories of Prayer Ready, the teenager with Down Syndrome who choked to death at Gloriavale in 2015 when she was locked in a room. Or Theo Pratt and Aaron Courage who told me about their brutal beatings when they were young. Every woman from Gloriavale I’ve interviewed for my book had been sexually abused there as a child or teenager.
But for the government, there’s nothing to see here. A cult that has lied for decades assures them all is fine. No more questions asked. Boxes ticked. Moving on.
CALL FOR MINISTER LOUISE UPSTON TO RESIGN
We think there is no excuse for Upston to be duped by cult leaders, given all the evidence, research and resources available by now. Her level of ignorance is shocking and should have consequences. We support what legal advocates and mental health experts in our network say:
“Timeline of tragedy – too little, too late”
Amy Tiemann PhD, child safety expert and neuroscientist (Wellington):
“New Zealand is failing Gloriavale’s children by not taking strong enough action to protect them from abuse. The responses from Minister of Social Development Lousie Upston are too little, too late.
The New Zealand government has known of abuse at Gloriavale for years. It knows enough that it’s time to take action beyond education and warnings to stop it. I worry that the next predictable stop on this timeline of tragedy could be a child dying. If Minister of Social Development Louise Upston can’t quickly craft a path forward with significant action to protect Gloriavale’s children, she should resign.”
“Close this cult down without further delay”
Dennis Gates, lawyer for Gloriavale victims (Auckland):
“The latest revelations of child torture in Gloriavale are another example of the abject failure of government agencies to protect the children there. It occurred right under the noses of those charged to ensure child safety – and it occurred while government agencies were supposedly achieving reform in Gloriavale. This is a total failure after decades of involvement and interaction with Gloriavale.
Government duplicity and enablement of abuse in Gloriavale have to stop. The only way forward to end the torture and abuse of those children is to close this cult down without further delay.”
“Psychological damage can be lifelong”
Tracey Irving, clinical psychologist and Decult trustee (Hamilton):
“The response from government minister Louise Upston following her visit to Gloriavale is staggering. After giving leaders ‘the benefit of the doubt’, she saw nothing of concern. She failed to meet with any ex-members of Gloriavale to hear a perspective free from the influence of coercive control and an authoritarian leadership.
The NZ government has known about the harm being perpetrated against Gloriavale members and their children for decades but still fails to understand the dynamics of high-control groups. Not only are children at risk there physically, but the psychological damage can be devastating and lifelong.
The government needs to obtain a clear understanding of what is actually occurring at Gloriavale – and then shut it down.”
We’re asking stakeholders in government to listen to survivors and upskill in cult education (such as Decult 2026 or through the CIP Network). Gloriavale needs to become an election topic this year. Please raise your voice too.
Thank you,
Anke Richter
(Decult founder & director)