Posted by interested on February 11, 2005 at 17:44:13
CULT JUSTICE
A cult member condemned for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
AIX-EN-PROVENCE (Bouches-du-Rhone), 16 may, 2001 (AFP)
A member of "The Family" an association which derived from the cult "Children Of God" dissolved in 1978, was condemned Tuesday by the Criminal Court of Aix-en Provence (Bouches-du-Rhone) to 18 months in prison with suspended sentence for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, judicial sources said Wednesday.
The court reduced the sentence to 2 years of probation with the obligation to seek treatment. It also deprived the subject of all parental rights.
The assistant DA Annie Brunet-Fuster had sought a penalty of 18 months in prison with suspended sentence.
The guilty party who recognizes his membership in the cult, was charged for encouraged the delinquence of his 8 year old son notably by encouraging (sexual) interplay with the children of a couple of friends, also members of the "Family".
A video of this scene and another filmed by the guilty party showing his son nude in a dubious position, was siezed by police during a search.
In his summation, the DA reminded that the cult pacticed "FFing" which consisted of using sexual relations as a means of proselytizing and to obtain advantages for the group. The Family also considered sexual relations, particularly those of children, to be the best way to get to heaven.
The mother of the child and the nation union for the defense of the Family constituted the civil party (prosecution).
This conviction comes as the result of a long procedure which began in 1991 with an investigation into the cults activities by the gendarmes (state police) in 2 villages of Bouche- de-Rhone.
22 members of the community, were accused in 1993 for "aggravated proxenetism" (pimping), "violent child abuse", and "confining and corruption of minors". Charges were dropped in January 1999 due to a lack of proof.
After appeals by the civil parties the anullation of charges was confirmed in February 2000 except for the case of the recent conviction for which there were sufficient charges.