A few years back, there was a trial up here involving a similiar situation. A small cult in Attleboro was discovered to have resulted in the deaths of a number of children. I remember watching the trial, and finding it as fascinating as I did heart breaking...And while I can absolutely understand
Blue's anger, I can also say that what came about as a result of the trial was the fact that the mother in the Attleboro case had begged to not let her child starve, but was suppressed by the other members. (Who just so happened to be family members.) In the end, both parents were given guilty verdicts and sentenced to prison. If I'm not mistaken, however, the mother was re-sentenced on appeal and is currently serving out her sentence at The New England Institute for Religious Research, which is an organization devoted to cult deprogramming and education...
I think it was one of the most heart wrenching trials I have ever watched, as I was so conflicted between the rage I felt towards the mother, while at the same time, realizing that her mind had been utterly, totally controlled by the other members. What stood out in my mind the most, however, was the very fact that in spite of that, the mother's instinctual desire to save her child had been clearly present. She just wasn't in a position to over-ride the collective power of the cult...
It was sad.
Really sad.
--And frightening.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
