A Northland man has been arrested as part of an investigation into alleged historical sex offending that spanned three decades when he was part of a secretive sect that meets in people’s homes.
The religious group known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth, is under investigation by the FBI for historical child sexual abuse. Former members warn it is a highly controlling and insular group, with many unwritten rules.
The Christian sect has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, is not registered as a charity and has no official name nor church buildings.
Ealier this year, its spokesperson confirmed police here were investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse and it was aware of 14 cases of allegations against members.
Police have this month laid numerous charges against a man who was part of the sect.
At this stage, 17 charges of indecent assault have been laid against the man relating to alleged offending against four victims between the 1960s and 1980s.
The 79-year-old man has interim name suppression and is due to reappear before Kaikohe District Court next week.
The sect’s overseer Wayne Dean said they encouraged abuse to be reported.
“Whilst it would be inappropriate for us to comment on any specific case that may be before the courts or in the hands of the police, I can confirm that we as a group encourage and support the reporting of abuse to the authorities, and respect all action taken by the authorities in response to criminal behaviour,” he said.
“Our heartfelt message to all survivors/victims is one of support and encouragement. We recognise they have experienced pain and suffering through no fault of their own. We acknowledge the courage of those who have shared their experience, and are mindful also of those whose voices are still silent, unable to speak of the trauma endured.”
In May, the sect’s Australasian leaders launched a website with information about its response to historical child sexual abuse and a written apology to victims.
The website does not carry any name for the sect but refers to the group as “our fellowship” or “our church”.
Victim advocate Jillian Hishon runs a hotline – The Brave Truth Australia and New Zealand – for abuse survivors in the sect.
“Given the fact that there’s been an arrest I think it will be really encouraging for victims to see this moving forward,” she said.
“It’s really hard for victims to make those reports [to police] but seeing something move forward … is a really good thing.”
Hishon said the hotline had received calls from at least 15 New Zealand people alleging they are victims since the FBI announced it was investigating the global sect.
“Oftentimes for a victim to report to us, they just want to be able to tell their story and be listened to.”
In February, the FBI confirmed it had launched a global investigation into the sect known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth.
“Because the FBI Omaha field office is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential victims, I can confirm an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
“In order to preserve the integrity and capabilities of the investigation, I cannot share any details of the ongoing process. We encourage anyone with information to provide it through its website.”
The FBI said it encouraged reporting from anyone who thought they may have been a victim.
Where to get help for sexual violence
Victim Support 0800 842 846
Rape Crisis 0800 88 33 00
HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655 – push 0 at the menu
Safe to talk: a 24/7 confidential helpline for survivors, support people and those with harmful sexual behaviour: 0800044334
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496
WINGS Note:
The Court has ordered name suppression, as is common practice in New Zealand, to protect victims and because of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. The name suppression may be cancelled at a later hearing.
It is understood that the man was a worker in New Zealand in 1960s – 1970s.
He was a member of the fellowship until he was stood down recently.
Original report: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/526679/former-member-of-two-by-twos-sect-arrested-for-alleged-historical-sex-offending
Amy Williams, Journalist 8:16 am on 31 August 2024 amy.williams@rnz.co.nz
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quote: Our heartfelt message to all survivors/victims is one of support and encouragement…
yada yada. Despite the church’s considerable funds, we will encourage them/support them to go the assistance provided by the NZ taxpayer and Charities although we haven’t paid any tax on the considerable funds we have been bequeathed and have in our bank accounts.
https://ausnzinfo.com/nz-support
it certainly will never change same old problems for over a hundred years now in North America and it is still happening today….
Update from RadioNZ News:
A Kerikeri man facing a raft of historical sex charges involving young boys is expected to enter a plea when he appears in court later this month.
The 79-year-old was arrested as part of an investigation into accusations of sex offending that spanned three decades when he was part of a secretive sect, the Two by Twos.
Police initially charged the man with 17 indecent assault and sexual violation offences they say occurred around the country between 1964 and 1981.
They involved four victims, one of whom was aged under 12 at the time.
The man, who has interim name suppression, had been due in the Kaikohe District Court on Tuesday but his lawyer said he had just got out of hospital and was very unwell.
He was excused from appearing and remanded without plea. He is due back in court on 24 September.
Lawyer Doug Blaikie said he expected the case would be resolved on that date because his client wanted it dealt with as quickly as possible.
Blaikie sought continued name suppression until his next court appearance, saying naming him now could be “very detrimental”.
“He has cancer, he has had a number of strokes. Generally he is in pretty poor shape. There is a real risk to him.”
Judge John McDonald rejected Blaikie’s argument that naming the man could identify his alleged victims.
He said the media was well aware of restrictions which prohibited the publication of information that could identify the victims of sex offences.
On the other grounds advanced by Blaikie – that publishing his name could “cause his health to deteriorate to the point he would not survive” – Judge McDonald said the arguments for and against were finely balanced.
However, he was prepared to allow name suppression to continue until the next court date.
Any request for suppression beyond that date would need a very strong argument, including affidavits, Judge McDonald said.
Further update from RadioNZ News:
The number of historical sex charges laid against a Northland man who was part of a secretive sect has tripled since police arrested him last month.
The 79-year-old now faces 55 charges relating to six victims who were young boys at the time of the alleged offending.
The man was arrested as part of an investigation into accusations of sex offending that spanned three decades when he was part of an underground sect, the Two by Twos.
Police initially charged him with 17 indecent assault and sexual violation offences they say occurred throughout the country between 1964 and 1981, involving four victims, one of whom was aged under 12 at the time.
Police say a further 38 charges have been laid against the man relating to another two victims.
He has interim name suppression, and was due to appear in Kaikohe District Court later this month.
The man was excused from appearing in court on Tuesday due to ill health, and was remanded without plea.
The religious group known as the Two by Twos, or The Truth, is under investigation by the FBI for historical child sexual abuse.
The Christian sect had about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, was not registered as a charity and had no official name or church buildings.
Earlier this year, its spokesperson confirmed police here were investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse, and it was aware of 14 cases of allegations against members.
Thank you to Wings for posting these updates.
In case useful to anyone in New Zealand or elsewhere in the region, this article on child-abusing Catholic priests being “dumped” in the Pacific islands was recently published in the New York Times.
The acknowledgment note says that Reporting for this story was supported by a grant from the Peter M. Acland Foundation, a New Zealand media charity. Perhaps the foundation could be interested in supporting good-quality journalism on other religious organizations that have managed abusers in the same way?
Only partly related, but in the same news source, is this article about US federal investigations into child sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention. It looks like the SBC has fallen into camps of “reformers” and those who criticize the reformers for “overreach.” Sounds all too familiar.