On November 18th 1978 members of the sect drank a cyanide-laced fruit punch from their spiritual father Reverend Jim Jones. They then lay down to die. Or so it seemed. Jonestown Cult
In November 1978 Congressman Leo Ryan had taken a news team and a group of concerned relatives to Guyana. The previous year Jim Jones and his Californian People’s Temple had relocated there following allegations and increasing media scrutiny. ibid.
What began as a Congressional investigation ended in massacre: five people lay murdered on the air strip, but twenty others had managed to escape into the bush. ibid.
Jim Jones was just twenty-five years old when he founded the People’s Temple in Indianapolis in 1956. He’d been fascinated by religion since an early age. ibid.
In 1965 Jones moved his controversial congregation to rural Redwood Valley in northern California. He’d read in a magazine article that it was a safe haven from nuclear war. ibid.
There were stories of systematic abuse. ibid.
As Temple defectors revealed one horror story after another to reporter Marshall Kilduff [San Francisco Chronicle] the contrast with Jones’s humanitarian image couldn’t have been greater. ibid.
Suicide drills and beatings were as much a part of the Temple internal life as social service was to its public face. ibid.
We’d be disciplined by her and by Bill. The Cult of the Family I, victim, Sky Crime 2020
Police and Community Services raid 14 August 1987 6 am: ‘At the weekend six children were seized from a property owned by the Sect.’ ibid. television news
Four months later the rescued children are in protective care. No charges have been laid. ibid. caption
The sect leader who fled child and LSD scandals. ibid. newspaper article
This is the moment of re-birth for a new planet. ibid. Anne Hamilton-Byrne
The Family investigation: task force Operation Forest commences 11 December 1989: ‘We had folders, we had my report, we had a phone book and I think we had one car allocated: that was the total resourcing for Operation Forest. ibid. detective Lex le Man
Together Raynor and Anne founded the Great White Brotherhood, which became known as The Family. Anne took the role of spiritual leader. ibid. caption
There was a glamour about Anne that meant all the men were besotted. ibid. Family member
She taught this mishmash of eastern religions. ibid.
They starved us, they beat us, they did all sorts of horrible things to us. ibid.
Children in The Family were given their first ‘clearing’ when they turned 14. It was part of their initiation into the Sect. ibid. caption
Auntie Anne sucked as much money out of people as she possibly could. Anyone who joined The Family had to pay dues. The Cult of the Family II, sect child
They [Hamiltons] are able to create a stable environment with a lot of love. ibid. Sect member and psychiatrists
She was becoming more clinical, more cold, it was about Anne and no-one else. ibid. rozzer
One thing she [Anne] wanted was lots of little children. ibid. sect child
I was just handed over [at birth]: I’m sure my mother was coerced [adoption]. ibid.
There were allegations of rampant drug use and harsh discipline. ibid. rozzer
Other members include general practitioners Dr Christine Fleming and Dr John McCane. ibid. television news
Too much time had elapsed for Operation Forest to obtain physical evidence of the administration of LSD. They were not able to lay charges. ibid. caption
The wheels of justice were just too slow. ibid. investigative journalist
At the weekend six children were seized on a property owned by the Sect under care applications. The Cult of the Family III
Peter [Kibby] was the key to the door: he broke the Code of Silence within that sect. ibid. Lex le Man
Lex is appointed as senior investigator under the supervision of an Inspector. He is given 12 months to close the case. ibid. caption
‘I look at the effect of that power and I have to say it is demonic.’ ibid. victim
The only remaining charge is one count of conspiracy to commit perjury. The Hamilton-Byrnes plead guilty. ibid. caption
After all that work, the system had let us down. ibid. Lex le Man
Sam Fife was the prophet, the messenger, of God. People Magazine Investigates s2e4: Movement of God
He believed that any problems people had were caused by demons. ibid.
They beat her. They abused her. ibid.
In the mid-1970s shocking news reports of a fanatical religious group known as the Move begin to surface across the United States. ibid.
Sam Fife, a former Country & Western singer and ex-Baptist preacher, started a non-denominational charismatic Christian group. ibid.
Fife’s group was also known as the Body of Christ and the Movement of God before settling on the Move. ibid.
A travelling ministry helped spread his message. ibid.
‘They all held me down and started paddling me.’ ibid. survivor
On January 27th 2013 19 year old Matthew Fenner alleges he was held against his will and severely beaten while leading services … According to Matthew the perpetrators of this act of extreme violence are members of a zealous church called the Word of Faith Fellowship. People Magazine Investigates: Word of Faith Cult, ID 2019
Multiple allegations of physical abuse within the church run by Pastor Jane Whaley. ibid.
Jane Whaley started Word of Faith in 1979 as a non-denominational church focused on evangelical doctrines. ibid.
Those who have left the church have told stories of corruption, brain-washing and horrific physical abuse. ibid.
My name is Bijan Ebrahimi. My life is in danger. I’ve got a mob behind my door. There’s 6, 7 neighbours and I can’t go out the door because I am not safe. Murdered by a Mob: The Murder of Bijan Ebrahimi ***** emergency appeal to rozzers, Channel 5 2021
Despite calling from the police, despite calling for the council repeatedly, repeatedly, he received no support. He was ignored. ibid. old dude
What part of be quiet do you not understand? Shut up. ibid. rozzer in station
The murder was described as deeply shocking vigilante attack. The quiet disabled Iranian refugee was kicked and punched to death outside his face on a British council estate. Doused with white spirit and then set alight. ibid. news
This has been going on for years. Where the local authority and the police have known about this. And I thought, what on earth has happened to lead to this place? How many opportunities must have been missed for Bijan to end as a burning corpse? ibid. researcher
Bijan was subject to racial abuse. He was called a [deleted]. He was called a paedophile. They would throw stones at his plants. Break the pots. They would leave rubbish on his door, beer cans that sort of thing. They’d gather late at night outside his front door. Get drunk there. It would have been a constant barrage. ibid.
Thursday 11th July 2013, two days before his murder. Bijan started filming his neighbours. Bijan films a neighbours drinking with his children. ibid.
There are 78 previous calls from this man … ibid. two rozzers response
The police decided to arrest Bijan.’ ibid. counsel
You are making it worse. Now get inside. ibid. rozzer
Because he had taken photographs of children who had been pulling plants up or whatever it was in his garden, therefore it was an excuse in the minds of the real perpetrators, accusing him of being a paedophile. And there was nothing worse at that time. ibid. George Fergus, Mayor of Bristol 2012-216
He was all right. Really really really polite. Always outside, always outside three four times a day watering his flowers. And just smiling … Paedophile? No. That was just a cover … They call me names … I’m still going through racism. And nothing’s getting done about it … It’s getting worse and worse. ibid. neighbour