The Family International Children of God cult by insiders The Children of God
home Chat Boards Articles COG history COG Publications People Resources Search Site Map
   
The Judgment of Lord Justice Ward
The High Court of Justice - Family Division, UK
From the Judgement of Justice Ward

PRINT THIS


1995
 

The Judgement of
Lord Justice Ward



There are 3 ways to view this 295-page document:
Depending on your personal preferences, browser, computer hardware and settings, you should find at least one or more suitable methods of web display:
Intro by WC
This document was originally 295 pages long, prepared by the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Ward, and signed on October 19, 1995.

It is a ground-breaking legal document which details not only a trial for custody of a child born into The Family and resident in the UK; not only how The Family were forced through the court's far-reaching international powers to comply with a significant number of fundamental changes and requirements placed on them by the court; but also how the writings, doctrines, practices, leadership and the group's treatment of children were placed under scrutiny. In effect, the entire Family was on trial.

Leaving no stone unturned, the Court investigates 1000s of pages of never before revealed internal documents, employs the opinions of investigative experts and social workers, and personally interviews many witnesses.

In a remarkable display of even-handedness, the Judge finds the Family lacking in frankness, and disingenous in its attempts to skirt the responsibility and blame for lives damaged by its doctrines and pracrtices.

Having no means of evasion left, The Family had no choice but to adopt a new strategy for handling its legal problems - some of them actually attending court and facing charges instead of going underground once again. Though the Court found The Family's representatives were far from forthcoming, and that much of The Family's improvements seemed to be of a superficial and cosmetic nature, it also found sufficient evidence through the duration of the proceedings that real change was inevitable and that the child was reasonably safe for the time being. Conditional custody was reluctantly granted to the mother, a full-time member of the group.

As a condition for winning custody, The Family acknowledged, albeit quietly, wrong-doing on Berg's part for literature which endorsed adult-child sex. The Family's leaders admitted Berg's responsibility for harm done to children. In his apology to the Judge, Peter Amsterdam (Kelly) stated:
"The judgement refers in particular to 'The Law of Love' and 'The Devil Hates Sex', and we accept that as the author of ideas upon which some members acted to the harm of minors in 'The Family,' he [Berg] must bear responsibility for that harm. Maria, and all of us in World Services leadership, also feel the burden of responsibilty... ...Further, in 1980 Father David's statements in his discourse entitled 'The Devil Hates Sex' opened the door for sexual behaviour between adults and minors, such sanctioning being the direct cause of later abusive behaviour by some 'Family' members at that time." This appears to be a cosmetic apology. You can read more about this in detail in WC's article: Peter Amsterdam's Admission of Guilt.

[ Home | Chat Boards | Articles | COG history | COG pubs | People | Resources | Search | Site Map ]
Material on this page is © 2002-2009, exFamily.org where applicable
1968 to current day  
Brief Outline  
Vital Info about TF  
Pseudonyms  
FCF and COG  
Court Documents