BREAKING FREE FROM GLORIAVALE

Despite an extreme campaign to drive them apart, Rosie and Elijah Overcomer escaped to a new life together

-  Jo Bailey

It takes immense bravery to leave the confines of an insular, tightly knit community like Gloriavale. Especially when it's the only life you've ever known and you've been told since birth that the community is your sanctuary from an outside world that is inherently evil and dangerous.

Rosanna, known as Rosie, and Elijah Overcomer are second-generation Gloriavale members who, 11 years ago, found the courage to leave the reclusive religious sect.

Along with other former and current Gloriavale members, they're sharing their compelling story in TVNZ's documentary series Escaping Utopia, which offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the community, and reveals shocking new information about the allegations of abuse, control and exploitation that have plagued it for years.

At one stage, Rosie, 37, and Elijah, 34, were tapped for future leadership positions at Gloriavale by its founder and former leader, the late Hopeful Christian. However, in 2013, the couple decided to start a new life outside the West Coast community, following an extreme campaign by the sect's leaders to drive them apart.

"We first started questioning things when we got married and had our first baby," reveals Rosie. "Then everything was fast-tracked after our third child arrived."

Elijah was removed from Gloriavale when he confronted Hopeful about his criminal conviction for sexual abuse.

This led to Rosie and their three children being whisked away on a small aeroplane and put into hiding in a remote location where she wasn't allowed contact with Elijah or the outside world for six weeks.

The dramatic story of their escape from the grip of the community's leaders and the only life they ever knew unfolds in the second episode of this thrilling series.

One thing the Gloriavale leaders did get incredibly right, however, was the arranged marriage of Rosie and Elijah, who were 22 and 19 at the time.