Current and former members of a secretive sect operating in New Zealand are being urged to report allegations of child abuse.
The FBI in the US is investigating claims of abuse at the sect, which has no official name but has been dubbed the ‘Two By Two’ or ‘The Truth’.
Tristan Phipps left the church 20 years ago and is calling for people to come forward. He told 1News he was speaking out in the hope of helping others.
Growing up in New Zealand, he said he was never meant to listen to music, watch television, wear jewellery, or dance so he would maintain his faith in God.
Phipps now believes the church has the markers of a cult and has left people broken.
“There are people out there, same as me who are looking for answers, are looking for healing because of other horrible things,” he said. “Fortunately, I’m not really in that position, but it’s been silenced for too long. The silence is quite deafening for some people.”
Little is known about the group, which has 2500 members here and many more overseas. (Source: 1News)
The church is not registered as a charity and members meet in each other’s homes as it owns no buildings.
A fourth-generation member, Dr Kyle Eggleton, is now the Associate Dean (Rural) in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at Auckland University. He is also the Director of the Rural Health Unit and a rural GP.
He was born and raised in the church until he lost his faith 26 years ago, and said coercive control was standard practice.
“It’s only people that attended the 2x2s that could go to heaven, and if you left the 2x2s, then you would go to hell. So this fear was imposed upon people and that’s the thing that kept them within the 2x2s despite all the cognitive dissonance that they experienced,” said Eggleton.
‘Full cooperation’
In a statement to 1News, church overseer Wayne Dean said they will fully cooperate with police.
“Regarding members of our fellowship, past or present, we recognise and respect that each individual has their own experience and perspective and are at liberty to share this as they wish.”
He pointed to a website which displays its child safety policy and the “workers” (members) code of conduct.
The document said the church has zero tolerance for abuse and is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for children, while also encouraging parents to report any suspected abuse to authorities.
The group is reviewing its policy around raising awareness of child sexual abuse, supporting victims/survivors of child sexual abuse, and developing a child-safe culture.
“We have been listening and learning about the impact of child sexual abuse in peoples’ lives and the fellowship, and educating ourselves on this difficult issue,” the website read.
“We greatly appreciate those who have shared their experiences of abuse with us and we remain very mindful of the long-term impacts of such abuse. We recognise that each individual’s experience is different, and commit to continue engaging with all concerned.”
Consideration is also being given to incorporating recommendations from the relevant Australian/NZ Royal Commissions of Inquiry, and the church said it wants a region-specific approach rather than a standard one across the two countries.
A police spokesperson said they have recently contacted a number of people in relation to alleged sexual offending connected to the sect.
“The purpose of making contact is to ensure anyone who may want to make a complaint has an appropriate avenue through which to do so, or so that any required support can be provided.
“At this stage, it is not appropriate for us to comment further or give an interview.”
More than 50 alleged perpetrators
Jillian Hishon runs The Brave Truth Australia and New Zealand, which is hotline for those wanting guidance to report abuse claims.
She said over 50 alleged perpetrators have been reported to her from New Zealand.
“If they’ve done a police report and the alleged perpetrator is still in the church, still attending meetings, then I will write to the overseers,” said Hishon.
The church and police did not respond when asked if they knew how many alleged offenders there were.
