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Fact check

Is it true: Children of God / Family International: David Berg cult abuse cover-up (1968-present)?

Confirmed88% confidence

Yes — this is confirmed.

Confirmed. This page judges the claim that Berg's Children of God/The Family International institutionalised the sexual abuse of children as doctrine and that its leadership concealed this from outsiders. The abuse is confirmed by the group's own Mo Letters and Davidito material, by Lord Justice Ward's 1995 High Court findings (including that Berg bore personal responsibility), and by the leadership's own 2008 apology, which says "abusive actions occurred". Concealment from outsiders is documented up to 1995: Ward found writings countenancing deception of outsiders and "a pervasive tendency on the part of The Family to be economical with the truth". Confidence is 88, not higher, because the allegations that leaders hid the abuse from the authorities, protected perpetrators, or that a cover-up continues today rest on survivor and advocate allegations, with no court finding; the 1990-93 raids in several countries produced no prosecutions; and no member of the international leadership is known to have been convicted (two individual members have been, in Scotland in 2018 and 2020).

The claim

David Berg's Children of God (later The Family International) institutionalised the sexual abuse of children as doctrine through his "Mo Letters", and the movement's leadership concealed it from outsiders.

Key evidence

Mo Letters document institutionalised child abuse as doctrine

Family International renunciation of Berg claims reform

Read the full evidence file

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