KMSP: Cult leader Victor Barnard captured in Brazil
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[Scroll down this blog post for updated links as the story develops.]
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On Friday, 2/27/15, Victor Barnard was apprehended in Brazil by authorities. According to reports citing Globo.com, Barnard’s extradition papers to the United States have already been signed by the Brazilian courts.
Barnard is a former follower of The Way International and a Way Corps 14 graduate. He left The Way around 1990 and launched his own small Way spin-off group, River Road Fellowship, around 1992. (Link: VICTOR BARNARD: Timeline of a cult leader)
Beginning in 2000, Barnard hand-picked a group of girls and young women, ages 12 to 24 years, from his congregation. The group was called "The Maidens," and was sometimes called “Alamoth,” a biblical word referencing virginity. After moving the Maidens to a camp where they would serve God as virgins, Barnard manipulated them into having sex teaching them that since Barnard was Christ, the girls would remain virgins even if they engaged in sex with Barnard. Barnard taught them that it was normal practice for men of God to get their sexual needs met by loyal followers*; after all, Solomon had his concubines and Jesus had Mary Magdalene along with other women. (Link: Minister raped 'Maidens' in Minn. camp for years)
In 2012, two of Barnard's victims came forward and reported what they had endured for some ten years at the hands of Barnard. They were only around 12 years old when Barnard had handpicked them and began abusing them.
On April 11, 2014, a warrant for 59 counts of sexual misconduct was issued against Barnard.(Link: Alleged cult leader Victor Barnard charged with molesting 'Maidens')
*[From at least the 1970s until around 2000, The Way had a similar inner-circle doctrine (hidden from many followers at the time) that included handpicked female followers meeting the sexual needs of certain men of God. The Way's inner-circle doctrine did not include that those men were Christ nor that the women would remain virgins. To my knowledge, most of the Way leadership who engaged in that abusive doctrine did not coerce minors.(Link: Minnesota cult leader called the girls 'brides of Christ' - and he was 'Christ')]
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Links to posts on toss & ripple about Barnard:
3/01/14: Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship
4/19/14: More thoughts regarding Victor Barnard...and influence...and The Way...and...
8/18/2014: Victor Barnard: "Preaching Lies" to air on "The Hunt," Sunday, August 24, 2014
2/28/15: Victor Barnard is apprehended in Brazil...
6/11/17: Docudrama: "Deliver Us From Evil"
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Below are links to media stories as they develop after Barnard's arrest on 2/27/15. To access media links prior to the arrest, click here: Victor Barnard and River Road Fellowship
March 1, 2015: What's next for Victor Barnard?
March 2, 2015: The Brazilian accomplice who helped Victor Barnard hide
March 3, 2015: River Road cult came between family, daughter
March 4, 2015: Victor Barnard has Brazilian lawyer, road to extradition could be long
March 5, 2015: From the Daily Beast: Inside the Sex Cult of ‘Christ’
March 7, 2015:: Minneapolis StarTribune: Brazilian 'maiden' spent years aiding fugitive cult leader Victor Barnard
November 18, 2015: Cult leader Victor Barnard attempted suicide in Brazilian prison
June, 2016: Everything You Need to Know About Victor Barnard, the Creepy Cult Leader Accused of Sexually Assaulting Minors
June 18, 2016: Minneapolis StarTribune: Cult leader Victor Barnard back in Minnesota to face charges
June 20, 2016:: Minneapolis StarTribune: Bail set for cult leader Victor Barnard in Pine County court hearing
October 9, 2016: Thirty-minute video compiling five different news clips from KMSP Fox 9 out of Minneapolis. The compilation goes from when the story originally broke in 2014 through the manhunt in early 2015.
October 17, 2016: KMSP Fox 9 video on Youtube, Cult leader Victor Barnard pleads guilty
October 28, 2016: Minneapolis StarTribune: Pine County cult leader Victor Barnard sentenced to 30 years in prison
January 25, 2017: KXLY TV our of Spokane, WA, video on Youtube, Cult sex abuse survivor worries group still operating in Spokane
January 26, 2017: KMSP Fox 9 video on Youtube, Civil lawsuit filed aginst cult leader Victor Bernard's religious group
March 31, 2017: Minneapolis StarTribune: Inmate charged with severely beating imprisoned cult leader Victor Barnard, causing brain damage
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6 comments:
OUTSTANDING!
Carol...so very happy this scum of the earth has been apprehended. Men who use "God" to prey on young women are the real devils on earth. I do hope his capture and punishment goes a long way to help in your healing process. Hugs.
It almost doesn't feel real. But it is!
I can hardly imagine what feelings are going through the people whom Barnard abused, especially the young women who were hand chosen by the scumbag.I'm sure an avalanche of emotion is tumbling for them. They have some nerve-racking stuff ahead of them...processing this again and again...through whatever legal trials are ahead. But once it is all done, hopefully that will aid their healing process.
I also think of others in similar circumstances who never see the "once it is all done" side...and who silently suffer...unseen. So many people who have to work through trauma without ever seeing any sort of justice.
Yet, at least one more of these predators will have to face the facts and eat his own crap. That's with the expectation that surely he will be found guilty.
[Just an FYI, I don't know Barnard and was never influenced by him....so in that regard, his arrest doesn't affect me personally. But I'm still glad he was caught, of course. Thank you Anna! :) ]
Amen Anna!!
I was delighted to hear this. He needs to begin reaping what he has sown.
SP
Another "amen!"
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