Pearl Valor spoke in court about her lifelong pain due to not seeking medical treatment for fear of being humiliated publicly by the leaders of Gloriavale. Video / NZ Herald
Pearl Valor has given further evidence in court about her time at the controversial Gloriavale community - breaking down in tears as she recalled being hungry, stealing food and being refused dental treatment.
But despite all of that she stayed, the guilt of what would happen if she left toogreat for her to escape.
"No matter how hard life was, I can't leave my work," she said.
Valor began giving evidence in the Employment Court about her Gloriavale experience yesterday.
"I went to the office and asked for $20 and they only had a $50 note and they would not give it to me as I could not be trusted to bring back $30.
"That is that nature of the place - they trust you to have children but not to bring back change."
Valor is well known for appearing in a TVNZ docuseries about Gloriavale that featured her wedding to husband Paul.
She has now left the community and is joining five other former members, Rose Standtrue, Serenity Pilgrim, Anna Courage, Crystal Loyal and Virginia Courage in seeking a legal ruling that they were employees and not volunteers at Gloriavale.
The women say they were effectively born into and kept in "servitude" - which is illegal in New Zealand - forced to work long days with no breaks and very little food or water.
Their case follows a similar action by a group of former Gloriavale men who the court ruled were employees from when they were just 6 years old.
Pearl Valor during her time at Gloriavale. Photo / TVNZ
Yesterday the court heard that Valor would get up at 2am to complete her work some days - fearing what may happen if she left anything unfinished.
She said she had to stop working when her husband became sick and was made to feel like the couple and their five children were "living on charity".
This, despite them both working full time for the community since they were young primary school children.
Her husband and sister sat in the public gallery along with other supporters.
Current members of Gloriavale have also been watching the proceedings in court.
Valor said she had worked long and hard hours for most of her life inside the community and often went without for the good of Gloriavale.
She recalled a month of fasting where only porridge and steamed rice was allowed to be consumed - the plus side being tomato sauce could be used to "add flavour".
"I remember being hungry all the time," she said.
"I remember not being able to sleep at night and saying ... "mummy I'm so hungry."
The thought of that horrified Valor so she chose never to seek medical treatment.
She spoke of having an infected fingernail for up to 10 years which she was too scared to seek treatment for.
After their wedding, Paul Valor took his new wife to his mother to show her the damaged digit.
Valor eventually went to a doctor and she was told by the doctor that she needed antibiotics but he would not prescribe them because "you're married... you'll be pregnant or breastfeeding now"
She tried to treat the condition with essential oils which helped to a point.
Valor also spoke of serious back and arm injuries that she was refused specialist care for.
As a result she has lifelong pain.
"This is just an example how the women were treated at Gloriavale," she said.
Another woman spent a week in hospital seriously ill.
Valor recalled then-leader Hopeful Christian standing in front of the whole community saying she was unwell because "she was a naughty girl and didn't eat her porridge"
When she returned she was refused pain relief because "it was considered evil".
She also recalled her sister being called a "whore" for not parting her hair and having one clip instead of two; and of "being hauled over the coals" and "butchered" by senior leaders for allowing a friend to trim her own hair.
"You're not even a person, you're just an object ... It's really hard to see when you're in there," she told the court.
