The worst of it, the abuse, the rapes and the sexual assaults, happened right under the noses of the authorities
Inquiry revealed as survivor tells of childhood ordeal – Verity Carter on how she was attacked by sect members including her father Alexander
Asex cult survivor has spoken for the first time about the abuse she suffered while growing up in the notorious Children of God sect.
Verity Carter was repeatedly raped and abused, forced on to the streets to trick people into donating money and taught how to conceal her torment from social workers and teachers.
Verity, now a 38-year-old Edinburgh mum, said: “My earliest memories are from the age of four, being abused by my own father.
“He would touch me and kiss me in a way that made me feel so uncomfortable. I would cry and beg him not to.
“If I complained, I was told that I must have a demon inside me because sex was love, and love was what God wanted us to show each other.
“I was not even old enough to go to school at that point but there was far worse to come.”
Verity was brought up until the age of 15 in the Children of God, which was started by David Brandt Berg in California in 1968. By 1972, there were 130 communities scattered throughout the world, and in Scotland operated in Renfrewshire, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Edinburgh.
Hollywood actors Rose Mcgowan and Joaquin Phoenix were among those born into the cult. They have talked about their early childhood experiences in the sect which has since changed its name to The Family International.
Berg, who went on the run after the FBI launched an investigation into sex abuse, liked to be called Moses, or Mo, and preached a distorted Biblical rhetoric which, they claimed, justified their abuse of women and children. Verity said: “My father, at least, did not rape me and would often even be ‘kind’ to me.
“The worst abuses, the rapes and numerous sexual assaults, came from others within the communes we were forced to live in around Scotland, right under the noses of the authorities.
“I can remember all their faces still, but the cult was very clever. Most did not use their real names, but the names they were given, usually Biblical.
“I was called Rejoice, although I had little to rejoice in.”
Berg, a bearded Californian preacher, demanded women go into communities as “bait” to engage men in sex to draw them into the cult, a former practice known as “flirty fishing”.
Verity said: “Those women would get pregnant and their children would be known as ‘ Jesus babies’, and growing up I met a number of them.
“The outside world was referred to a ‘systemites’ and we were taught as soon as we could talk that they were not to be trusted.
“Our homes were filled with pornographic pictures and teachings from Grand pa David, and the systemites were never to see them or we were warned we would all be taken away from our families, put into children’s homes and probably murdered.
“We were just children, but we were told it was our responsibility if our cover was blown.
“We had to present ourselves to the public at all times as happy smiley children who loved God, nothing else.
“If anyone asked questions, we were told to say we loved God and we wanted to be missionaries.
“The truth was that unspeakable things were being done to us in the name of a perverted old man cashing in on the money we’d be sent out to collect most days.
“On a good day, I could collect up to £400 by smiling and just asking people if they loved God. I was too young and naïve to question it, but I wonder where all the millions of pounds collected all over the world ended up.”
Verity was only briefly sent to school – cult leaders feared teachers would discover what was going on – and if an inspector was to call at their community, incriminating evidence would be hidden in advance.
She said: “I was taken out of school because the elders thought I might blurt out something and bring unwanted attention. My mother taught me and we’d get home visits from inspectors, but they were woefully inadequate.
“We’d know when the inspectors were coming, all the pornographic
I was given the name Rejoice but there was nothing to rejoice in
‘ If I said anything, I was told there must be a demon inside me
books were hidden away and we’d be cleaned up and rehearsed what to say until we were word perfect.
“The school inspectors, social workers, and doctors who all saw us, were all fooled. Nobody seemed to want to ask questions and risk asking something that might ‘upset’ our religion.
“None of us dared say anything that would cause concern or we’d be beaten and punished for weeks.”
Berg’s teachings were often issued in the form of comic style books, with topics such as “The Woman Who Wouldn’t”, a tale warning of dreadful punishment for a women who refused to have sex. Other teachings included ‘God Loves Sex … The Devil Hates It’, and Berg would state the Hitler was an ‘avenging angel’ helping rid God of ‘bad people.’
Verity added: “I was told I wouldn’t live beyond 10, that I was an End Time Soldier, and it would be our glorious destiny to be raped and tortured in the name of God.”
She said other cult members would re g u l a r ly vi s i t , and t h ey we re “dr illed” to be able to evacuate a home within minutes, with a bag ready packed, leaving nothing behind for the “systemites” to use against the cult.
Sandy Brindley of Rape Crisis Scotland, who has supported Verity, said: “Changes to the law which allow child abusers to be pursued by UK authorities in other jurisdictions re p re s e n t a step forward.
“However it’s important to recognise such crimes occur much closer to home on a regular basis.”
In 1989, Verity’s father, Alex Watt, left the cult, leaving his children with their mother, who remained a member. Verity said she continued to suffer years of abuse until, at the age of 15, she could stand it no longer.
She said: “Something inside me snapped. I refused to allow the sexual abuse to continue. I had a huge row with my mother and the elders.
“I was terrified. But I knew I could not continue living like that.”
“I sincerely hope that by speaking out others may find the courage to come forward too and shine a light on what really happened.
“It cannot happen again.”
I can still remember all their faces. I will never be able to forget