Gloriavale leaver says probe outcome ‘weak’
A former Gloriavale member says leaders in the secretive West Coast community are “side-stepping” allegations of forced marriage and controlling behaviour.
The former member said he felt disappointed an 18-month investigation by Charity Services into the Christian Church Community Trust, which governs Gloriavale, didn’t hold the community accountable for its behaviour.
The probe began in April 2015 after media reports about an increase in people leaving Gloriavale and allegations of sexual and physical abuse, the Newsroom website reported.
The investigation team worked with trustees, 18 community leavers and liaised with various government departments including the police who were already investigating the community over sexual abuse allegations.
The resulting report concluded that despite evidence of serious wrongdoing, the Christian Church Community Trust should not be issued with a warning notice but instead work with Charities Services to bring it up to standard.
One of those community leavers spoke to the Herald about the findings on the condition he not be named so as not to compromise further work he was doing with the investigation team.
“I think that is a bit weak really,” he said of the decision not to remove Gloriavale’s charity status.
“I was a bit disappointed with that result, not that I want to see their charity status necessarily removed but the point of us saying anything in the first place was for them to be charitable.
“They’ve got a charitable trust but they’re not being charitable.”
He said he wanted Gloriavale leaders to be held to account over allegations which included:
Five of the 18 Gloriavale leavers claiming they were victims of sex crimes.
Claims of unfair work conditions, including working excessive hours.
Senior Gloriavale members acting illegally in operating bank accounts of members without their knowledge.
Members being forced into an isolated hut as punishment.
Those who leave not being provided means to support themselves or to transition to life outside and being unable to maintain contact with members still inside.
A Gloriavale leader said the 18 recommendations Charity Services gave the community had been followed.
However, the former community member said claims that issues had
HRead the Charity Services investigation at nzherald.co.nz either been dealt with or never happened were not true.
“They’ve side-stepped it, I mean some of the stuff that Gloriavale has said now they’re putting in place or they’ve already had in place, if they’re not doing it properly it’s pretty hard to prove.”
Gloriavale trust board head Fervent Stedfast earlier told the Herald claims forced marriages occurred in Gloriavale weren’t true.
“There was no forced marriage. There was no such thing as a forced marriage. No one has ever been forced to marry anybody.”
But the community leaver said this was not the case. “Gloriavale’s said ‘we’ve never forced anyone to get married’ — that’s not true. We were there, we know what happened.”
Massey University religion expert Peter Lineham said there were hints in the Charity Services’ report of a sexual predator at Gloriavale, but Stedfast labelled claims of sexual abuse within the isolated community as “just nonsense”.