Bizarre world of Aussies’ UK ‘cult’

SECRET emails have revealed an Australian swim teacher – referred to by her father as the reincarnation of Winston Churchill – instructed members of a “cult” in England.

Simone Benhayon, 34, ( pictured) sent emails encouraging followers of Universal Medicine to post comments online at least five times a day, except for those who had been on a “time travel experience”.

Universal Medicine, which was started near Byron Bay, was being run in the one-pub village of Tytherington, two hours west of London, a short drive past Stonehenge.

A News Corp investigation has uncovered details of how Ms Benhayon, who is listed as a director of Universal Medicine UK on Companies House, was involved in communicating with followers in the UK.

The “cult” reportedly involves followers burping out bad spirits and going to bed at 9pm and getting up at 3am. They also follow a strict diet, which bans alcohol.

Ms Benhayon wrote to followers: “At this stage it feels as though there are people taking advantage of the program by saying they are on it but are not stepping forward and embracing it ... this means a minimum of 5 comments per day.”

In another email, she gives an allowance to some of her European followers because of their recent “time travel experience”.

A website about Universal Medicine founder Serge Benhayon, Simone’s father, has hundreds of comments below testimonials about the group.

Mr Benhayon claims his daughter is the reincarnation of Winston Churchill and that he is the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci.

Ms Benhayon runs a swimming program from a 15m pool in the buildings used by Universal Medicine.

Lessons have been cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions and many local schools stopped using the pool after details of Universal Medicine’s activities became known.

A ruling this month in the UK Court of Appeal found that a female member must leave the group or lose access to her daughter, finding that it made the daughter vulnerable to “eating disorders”.

A UK court had also said the group had “potentially harmful and sinister elements”.

In 2018, the NSW Supreme Court found that Universal Medicine was a “socially harmful cult”.

A jury also found Mr Benhayon has an “indecent interest in young girls as young as 10” and that Universal Medicine “preys on cancer patients”.