Gloriavale: Leaders respond to suggestions community should close
A former Gloriavale resident believes the commune’s leadership is manipulative, and “the only option is to shut the place down for the sake of the kids”.
Theo Pratt contributed to a discussion document put forward by the Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust, which asked ex-members what would happen if the West Coast sect continued and what a suitable ending would look like.
“Its purpose is so the Government can see what leavers want for the future of Gloriavale, but I think the biggest purpose that needs to come from the document is that the only option is for Gloriavale to be shut down.
“I want the leaders to be accountable for their actions, and I want those children to be free to have the rights that every other New Zealander has. The only way that will happen is for that to be shut down,” Pratt said.
“I can’t imagine a healthy Gloriavale. The abuse is intergenerational.”
In a statement to 1News, a Gloriavale community spokesman said they were looking to the future.
“Although the views of leavers and the Leavers’ Trust have value in an informational sense, they need to consult with Gloriavale members before making strategic announcements for Gloriavale’s future.”
“The community remains committed to working with the New Zealand Government and other appropriate stakeholders to ensure that Gloriavale is sustainable for future generations, which is the appropriate course of action,” the spokesman said.
Pratt left the commune eight years ago and recently appeared in the TVNZ documentary Escaping Utopia.
She went to Gloriavale’s offshoot in India to find her sister, Precious, one of five women born in Gloriavale who now had children in India.
The leader of the Indian commune was filmed by a hidden camera saying: “A lot of Indian men will force themselves onto a lot of women” and that “it was part of the culture”.
Pratt said since the documentary aired, her family has spoken to Precious and they’ve had feedback from the leader.
“It hasn’t been the nicest feedback, of course, but it seems that he’s watched the doco, which is what we wanted.
“We wanted him to have his own chance to change things, and if he was genuine about caring for those women and their well-being, he would’ve,” Pratt said.
Last week, senior Gloriavale leader Peter Righteous said the West Coast commune was in “constant contact with our brethren in India and have heard no complaints from them on these issues”.
The Gloriavale Leavers’ Trust has been urging people to write to their local politicians to demand action.