Gloriavale Leaver Says Investigation Outcome "Weak" and Leaders Are Side-stepping Allegations

New Zealand Herald
March 29, 2017

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11827253

A Gloriavale leaver says claims made by community leaders rejecting abuse allegations are not true. An image from TVNZ documentary Gloriavale. Photo/File

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.