DEMONS OUT! One official said the rescued members believed they had ‘demons,’ which had to be removed by beatings, resulting in bruises covering their bodies
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 26, 2019
By: Hsu Kuo-chen and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Police last month raided the premises of a religious cult in Taichung, where members were allegedly
Criminal Investigation Bureau investigators and police officers in protective gear force open the entrance of a building used by a cult in Nantou County in an undated photograph.
Photo: Hsu Kuo-chen, Taipei Times
The Chunghwa Daily Good Deed Association (中華日行一善學會) allegedly lured people into leaving their homes to live in a commune in the mountains, where it promised to “purify their spirits,” police told a news conference.
Members were closely monitored and encouraged to report each others’ “offenses,” such as saying that they wanted to leave, police said, adding that those who complained were beaten, with victims ranging from two to 80 years old.
A 61-year-old woman surnamed Lin (林), allegedly the founder of the cult, was detained along with five other suspects in the raid, they said. [FULL STORY]