Longtime Gloriavale member Clem Ready turns against the leaders claiming that sexual abuse, bullying and forced labour are prevalent within the sect. Video / NZ Herald
Warning: Violence contained in story.
A Gloriavale man who whipped his daughter 12 years ago with a computer cord till she fainted said the punishment was intended to deter her from a romantic relationship with another young member of the Christian community.
Aaron Courage, 50, came before Judge Stephen O’Driscollin the Greymouth District Court on Thursday morning for sentencing on one charge of assault with a weapon.
The court heard Courage had only stopped the whipping when he felt he had let his anger out, leaving his daughter, who was 16 at the time, struggling to walk for several days after.
She has since left Gloriavale, but Courage still lives there.
Judge O’Driscoll refused a request for a discharge without conviction, partly to deter other members from potentially disciplining their children in a similar way.
The girl had become romantically involved with a young man at Gloriavale, but relationships outside of marriage are not permitted there.
Judge O’Driscoll said the relationship became widely known among members, leading to Courage feeling pressured to “put an end to it”.
A sign welcoming people to the Gloriavale Christian Community. Photo / Jean Edwards, RNZ
He threatened a number of times that if she continued to see the boy he would beat her. However, the relationship continued and progressed into a sexual one.
Upon learning that, Courage took his daughter to a room where he stored his electrical equipment.
He took a computer cord and struck her over 10 times on the backside and backs of her legs, causing her to faint.
While being struck she was yelling for him to stop.
He only stopped when he felt he had let out his anger, the judge said.
His daughter suffered bruising and welts on the backs of her legs, and had trouble walking for some time as result.
While the offending was a decade ago, Courage went to police and made a voluntary and full admission.
Judge O’Driscoll said it was unlikely the incident would have come to light if Courage had not volunteered it.
Courage had also expressed remorse to his daughter, and the two were now on good terms.
She had declined to give police a victim impact statement, but nonetheless, the judge said he had no doubt Courage’s actions would have had a psychological and emotional effect on her.
“They should not be scared of their parents, and I have no doubt after this she would have been scared of you.”
Courage had grown up in the Springbank Christian Community before becoming a member of Gloriavale, where there was a significant amount of pressure put on parents to control their families.
The punishment handed out that day by Courage was “accepted, promoted and endorsed” in the community.
“You were under peer pressure to get your daughter to conform.”
Three current Gloriavale members gave evidence in court on Wednesday. Photo / George Heard
The judge said he believed Courage’s remorse was genuine, and he had not repeated such offending again.
“I think you have learned that there are alternative ways to discipline children, and I think you realise the [wider] community doesn’t accept corporal punishment as a way to discipline children.”
Police said the assault was a sustained attack and they did not support a discharge without conviction or suppression of Courage’s name.
However, his daughter was also not opposed to his name being published.
Courage was convicted but discharged without further penalty.
