A growing number of university students in Australia are becoming victims of coercive control because of a religious sect, according to concerned parents.

The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, described alternatively as a sect and a cult, is actively recruiting on several campuses. Ex-members have said their recruitment was via surverys and invitations to join events and study groups. Several Reddit users have claimed the sect is operating at UWA and Curtin. 

In February, concerned relatives and former members communicated through Reddit to organise a petition on change.org, calling for the Australian Government to expand the scope of coercive control legislation to stop the actions of Shincheonji. The petition asks the Federal Government to make coercive control by any organisation, not just religious ones, illegal.

Another petition, specifically targeting Shincheonji, was approved by the Federal Parliament and is open for signatures on the parliament website. 

Coercive control in domestic abuse scenarios became a crime in Queensland in March. In Western Australia, the Government said in a media statement that a phased approach to criminalisation is in the works.

A concerned father who helped draft the parliamentary petition said Shincheonji’s actions against his son were consistent with coercive control behaviour. 

He said work overload, relationship control and excessive monitoring were some of the behaviours members experienced. 

“They have slogans like ‘we wanna make you too busy to sin’. I’ve seen my son come home, and the car is running in the carport, and he is just absolutely passed out. Just so tired.”

The father asked not to be named because his son is a current member of Shincheonji, and speaking against it would have repercussions.

Sarah Steel, the author of Do As I Say, a 2022 book about cults, told The Western Independent that groups like Shincheonji use similar methods of coercive control to perpetrators in abusive relationships. 

“Aspects of coercive control that you’ll often see in cults are around sleep deprivation and keeping people so incredibly busy all the time that they barely have a moment to themselves. These kinds of things can keep people’s critical faculties subdued, which is helpful for an organisation that looks to have control over its members.”

Shincheonji, that also calls itself the New Heaven New Earth church, was established in 1984 by Chairman Lee Man Hee. The Chairman is the only one capable of interpreting the Bible as he was chosen by God to lead, according to the church’s website. 

Zion Christian Mission Centre is Shincheonji’s free Bible course. According to several ex-members, once they completed a year of this course, they would be expected to donate 10 per cent of their salary to the sect and sign a contract agreeing to never leave or defame the group online.

However, laws banning cults in Australia could have negative consequences.

Dr Renae Barker, an expert on law and religion, said laws targeting coercive control in the religious context could compromise religious freedom.

“A number of countries, including Singapore, France and Russia, have laws prohibiting cults. In many cases, the effect has been to target religious groups whose activities are poorly understood, stigmatised and stereotyped.”

She added a more general approach could reduce this risk.

For George Geri, who recently left Shincheonji, legislation should not be the only focus. He said more information and education about the issue was needed.

“If you have more knowledge about what these groups are doing and how they operate, less people would be in it, and less people would be deceived.”

Shincheonji was contacted for this story and declined to comment.