AUSTRALIA
ABC – Four Corners
[with video]
By Caro Meldrum-Hanna and Janine Cohen
Monday 28th July 2014
He is a self-styled evangelist who told his followers he was The Anointed One, chosen by God to convert the world to his beliefs.
Anyone who didn’t follow his word was told they would burn in hell, that he held the key to their salvation on judgement day.
In reality, Scott Williams was a cult leader who used his own brand of religion to warp biblical scripture in the pursuit of sex, money and power.
Scott Williams left Australia 38 years ago, converting hundreds of young people throughout Europe. On the outside, life appeared happy. But now, former cult members reveal to Four Corners a lifetime of secretive abuse, misplaced worship and horrifying punishments carried out under the guise of obedience to ‘The Overseer’, Scott Williams. Their stories are so shocking, their brainwashing so profound, it is almost unbelievable. As one former member explained:
“It’s not simple to walk out. No. I wish I could. I tried. I tried a few times. It’s a curious web and it was like he’s the spider and he’s got you there and you can’t get out of the bloody spider web.”
This week, reporter Caro Meldrum-Hanna investigates the rise of Scott Williams and his incredible path around the world and back to Australia, exposing how he created a hell on earth for many followers. Controlling almost everything they did, members say they were threatened, beaten, subjected to horrifying and bizarre sexual rituals – and even their children were taken away and given to others to raise for a time.
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