Investigating one of the UK’s most abusive cults

BBCJon Ironmonger met documentary director Ellena Wooden at Bugbrooke Chapel, Northamptonshire, the place the Jesus Fellowship was based in 1969Hundreds of persons are nonetheless traumatised because of abuse they suffered by the hands of a now-disgraced evangelical motion. Jon Ironmonger, who investigated the Jesus Military group previous to its closure 5 years in the past, has been to satisfy the director of a brand new BBC documentary collection telling its story.At first look, the Jesus Military appeared a “happy-clappy” church set within the Northamptonshire countryside, with two- or three thousand members, a gaudy military-style uniform, and a fleet of rainbow-coloured battle buses. The truth was very completely different. In 2016 I discovered myself embarking on a years-long journey to show one of many UK’s most abusive cults. There had been stories already about doubtful practices and unexplained deaths, together with that of a younger man whose physique was discovered on a railway monitor. However months later, over tea at St Pancras Station, a lady who had fled the group as an adolescent and wished to stay nameless, revealed the true scale of the harm it had triggered. “What number of victims have contacted you?” I requested, anticipating a solution maybe in double figures.”Within the area of six- or seven hundred,” she replied calmly.My thoughts was blown. Two years of interviews and investigations adopted earlier than the BBC revealed our findings detailing the widespread abuse of youngsters, and proof of a cover-up by the senior management.The church, identified formally because the Jesus Fellowship, closed a 12 months later. BBC/Docsville StudiosThe documentary reveals the late founder and chief of the Jesus Military, Noel Stanton, behaved inappropriately in direction of younger male membersIntrigued by media stories of the unfolding scandal, in 2022 documentary director Ellena Wooden started her personal investigation into the Jesus Military. She spoke to greater than 80 survivors, in addition to family and members of the family. The result’s a gripping, typically harrowing, two-part movie. “I used to be typically the primary particular person they’d shared their experiences with and practically everybody was nonetheless traumatised. It was very a lot a reside course of for them,” she says.”One of many issues that struck me was they might describe what we all know as sexual abuse, however would not perceive it as that, or would blame themselves for it.”And, as a filmmaker, I wished to convey to an viewers that you do not simply go away a cult and transfer on along with your life, it will probably inform all the pieces about you; your choices; your mind-set; your guilt; your relationships”.Ellena says she got down to problem assumptions in regards to the causes folks keep in cults.She compares it to the considered leaving a home relationship, with the extra anguish of abandoning one’s household, buddies, cash, job, and assist system, together with the inherent menace of going to hell. For example, she says one contributor, Nathan, “regardless of struggling to come back to phrases with the very fact he was groomed and sexually assaulted, admitted he would possible return to the Jesus Military if it reopened”. Particulars of assist and assist with little one sexual abuse and sexual abuse or violence can be found within the UK at BBC Motion LineBBC/Docsville StudiosThe Jesus Military carried out weekly marches in cities and cities throughout England to recruit folks to its motion For youngsters particularly, life within the cult’s many communal homes all through central England was intense and fraught with hazard.About one in six was sexually abused, in response to a overview of the damages claims of some 600 people.Kids had been separated from their dad and mom and infrequently slept in dorms with drifters and drug addicts.Many had been subjected to every day beatings and endured lengthy worship periods with exorcisms and the recanting of sins.Listening to the survivors’ accounts took an emotional toll on Ellena.”I had simply develop into a mom and was having two- or three-hour detailed conversations about abuse, typically involving incest, after which my son would are available from nursery, and all these psychological pictures could be in my head,” she says.”You are forming these relationships that contain numerous contact, numerous reassurance, and also you’re attempting to do the proper factor by everybody, so it is loads to hold typically.”After the Jesus Military disbanded, the BBC revealed its founder, Noel Stanton, alongside along with his 5 so-called apostles, had coated up the abuse of ladies and kids via their dealing with of complaints. One former elder described the chief of the church as a “predatory paedophile” and handed me a file of disclosures, accusing him of rape and sexual assaults.However Stanton died in 2009, earlier than he may reply any of the claims.Of Stanton, Ellena says “folks had been frightened of him and in awe of him in equal measure. Kids, particularly, had been completely terrified.”Docsville StudiosNathan, in blue, joins others from the Jesus Military in a bunch counselling session for survivors of cults and religious abuseBut was Stanton’s cult all the time evil, or did it begin as one thing good and morph into one thing evil?”If I needed to guess, I would say the latter,” says Ellena.”I feel the extra energy Noel had over everybody, the extra management he felt he needed to have.”However I feel the most important drawback was not reporting abuse; victims had been forgiven and infrequently gaslighted. There is no excuse for it.”Ellena is obvious many individuals who had been within the Jesus Military had constructive experiences: “It wasn’t terrible for everybody the entire time, and we’ve to recognise issues aren’t black and white on the planet”.In a poignant scene within the documentary, David, a former elder who is essentially supportive of the group, breaks down in tears underneath Ellena’s cautious questioning.”He acknowledges he has to begin from a spot of believing what folks went via is actual, and it is the primary time any chief has ever mentioned that from the church, so it was an enormous second,” she says.Ellena Wooden beforehand directed The Ripper, a four-part collection exploring police failings within the hunt for serial killer Peter SutcliffeThe Jesus Fellowship Belief, which is winding up the affairs of the Jesus Military, mentioned it was appalled by the abuse that occurred, and supplied an unreserved apology to all these affected.Final 12 months a redress scheme, funded partially via insurance coverage, paid particular person damages averaging about £12,000 to a whole lot of victims.Contained in the Cult of the Jesus Military is on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer at 21:00 BST on Sunday 27 July.An accompanying podcast, In Element: The Jesus Military Cult will launch on BBC Sounds on Monday 28 July.