I Grew Up In A Sex Cult

When Rose McGowan recently spoke out about the childhood abuse she suffered within The Children of God, it shone a spotlight on a global cult engaging in the widespread exploitation of children. Fellow survivorChristina Babin tells how she too overcame the trauma to rebuild her life

- Kate Graham

My earliest memory is of living in Jamaica aged four and looking out of the window at the children playing in the street. I was amazed to see them running and laughing – they seemed so free. Despite the sweltering heat and my longing to feel the fresh air on my face, I knew, even as a child, that I was a prisoner. We left the compound just once a week to hand out food to poor children. Every other minute was dedicated to working for God.

I was just a baby when my mother naively joined an organisation called The Children of God with my brother and me, looking for a pure, simple way to live. She didn’t know that the group was, in fact, a global cult founded on sexual abuse and violence – on the surface, it seemed like a warm community that embraced families. Set up by paedophile David Berg in California in 1968, it merged traditional Christian beliefs with communal living, and sexual contact with children from the age of 12 (Berg had sex with his own daughter at this age). High-profile members included Rose McGowan’s family, River and Joaquin Phoenix’s mother and Jeremy Spencer’s (Fleetwood Mac guitarist) family.