This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/12/cult-leader-sexually-assaulted-and-brainwashed-followers-court-told

The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Brixton commune leader locked up daughter and raped acolytes, jury told Brixton commune leader locked up daughter and raped acolytes, jury told
(35 minutes later)
A communist revolutionary who led a Maoist cult in Brixton in the 1970s imprisoned his daughter, and beat and raped two female acolytes in collectives across south London without being detected over a period of three decades, a court has heard.A communist revolutionary who led a Maoist cult in Brixton in the 1970s imprisoned his daughter, and beat and raped two female acolytes in collectives across south London without being detected over a period of three decades, a court has heard.
The alleged victims of Aravindan Balakrishnan, a communist who set up the Workers Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought in Brixton in the 1970s, included his daughter who was born in the commune and only escaped aged 30, the jury at Southwark crown court was told by the prosecution. The alleged victims of Aravindan Balakrishnan, a communist who set up the Workers Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, in Brixton in the 1970s, included his daughter – who was born in the commune and only escaped aged 30, the jury at Southwark crown court was told by the prosecution.
He is facing trial for false imprisonment and child cruelty against his daughter as well as the rapes, sexual assaults and assaults of two other female commune members, none of whom can be named. He is facing trial for false imprisonment and child cruelty against his daughter, as well as the rapes, sexual assaults and assaults of two other female commune members, none of whom can be named.
Balakrishan, now 75, sat impassive in the dock as he heard that he faces a total of four charges of rape, six charges of indecent assault, three charges of actual bodily harm, cruelty to a person under 16, and false imprisonment.Balakrishan, now 75, sat impassive in the dock as he heard that he faces a total of four charges of rape, six charges of indecent assault, three charges of actual bodily harm, cruelty to a person under 16, and false imprisonment.
He was arrested in November 2013 when his daughter finally left the commune with the help of the Freedom Charity, alongside two other longstanding commune members, Aishah Wahab and Josie Herivel.He was arrested in November 2013 when his daughter finally left the commune with the help of the Freedom Charity, alongside two other longstanding commune members, Aishah Wahab and Josie Herivel.
After a period in which he was “a charismatic man and a vivid and energetic speaker”, drawing around 100 followers with his plan to overthrow the fascist state as he saw Britain in the 1970s, his influence waned and the collective was reduced to him and just six women, the court heard. After a period in which he was “a charismatic man and a vivid and energetic speaker”, drawing around 100 followers with his plan to overthrow the fascist state, as he saw Britain in the 1970s, his influence waned and the collective was reduced to him and just six women, the court heard.
“Bala said that he had to control people’s minds and scrub them clean of the bourgeois culture and lifestyle,” Rosina Cottage QC, prosecuting, told the court. “By 1979, Bala was saying that the world revolution was in a dangerous stage. The house was locked all the time and those inside were unable to come and go freely. Bala said the door had to be locked to keep out the fascist agents.”“Bala said that he had to control people’s minds and scrub them clean of the bourgeois culture and lifestyle,” Rosina Cottage QC, prosecuting, told the court. “By 1979, Bala was saying that the world revolution was in a dangerous stage. The house was locked all the time and those inside were unable to come and go freely. Bala said the door had to be locked to keep out the fascist agents.”
He mounted a campaign of “debilitating mental and physical violence”, beating, raping and sexually assaulting some of the women, all the while with his wife, Chandra, living with them too. His wife and the others “had all been so dominated and brainwashed to the extent that they believed that he was all powerful and all-seeing”, the court heard.He mounted a campaign of “debilitating mental and physical violence”, beating, raping and sexually assaulting some of the women, all the while with his wife, Chandra, living with them too. His wife and the others “had all been so dominated and brainwashed to the extent that they believed that he was all powerful and all-seeing”, the court heard.
Cottage told the jury: “This case concerns the brutal and calculated manipulation by one man to subjugate women under his control.”Cottage told the jury: “This case concerns the brutal and calculated manipulation by one man to subjugate women under his control.”
Cottage said Balakrishnan’s daughter was born to another collective member, Sian Davies. In 1982 when she became pregnant, Balakrishnan accused her of “allowing the bourgeoisie to attack her” and insisted the baby was “the result of electronic warfare”, the court heard. As a young child she was not allowed to play with other children and if anyone else came to the house all evidence of her would be hidden, the court heard. She said Balakrishnan’s daughter was born to another collective member, Sian Davies. In 1982 when she became pregnant, Balakrishnan accused her of “allowing the bourgeoisie to attack her” and insisted the baby was “the result of electronic warfare”, the court heard. As a young child she was not allowed to play with other children and if anyone else came to the house all evidence of her would be hidden, the court heard.
“[The daughter] had no independent life,” the prosecutor told the jury. “She was bullied, beaten and separated from the world. She never went to school, played with a friend, saw a doctor or a dentist. She barely left the house. She was hidden from the outside world, and it kept from her, except as a tool with which to terrify her into subjugation.”“[The daughter] had no independent life,” the prosecutor told the jury. “She was bullied, beaten and separated from the world. She never went to school, played with a friend, saw a doctor or a dentist. She barely left the house. She was hidden from the outside world, and it kept from her, except as a tool with which to terrify her into subjugation.”
She tried to escape in 2005, eight years before she finally did, and went to Streatham police station, but went back to the commune because she didn’t know what else to do, the court heard. She tried to escape in 2005, eight years before she finally succeeded, and went to Streatham police station, but went back to the commune because she didn’t know what else to do, the court heard.
The court heard that Balakrishnan’s alleged rape and sexual assault victims “were cowed into submission” and “stayed in the collective too frightened to leave and hating to stay”. Cottage said: “They were forced into sexual acts over which they had no choice and were deliberately degrading and humiliating. He seemed to exult in his power over them.” The court heard that Balakrishnan’s alleged rape and sexual assault victims “were cowed into submission” and “stayed in the collective too frightened to leave and hating to stay”. Cottage said: “They were forced into sexual acts over which they had no choice and were deliberately degrading and humiliating. He seemed to exult in his power over them.
“In order to bend them to his will he used mental and physical dominance and violence, sexual degradation, and in relation to one, his daughter, he controlled every sphere of her life to the extent that she was unable either emotionally or physically to leave his influence until she was 30 years old and ill with diabetes,” she said.“In order to bend them to his will he used mental and physical dominance and violence, sexual degradation, and in relation to one, his daughter, he controlled every sphere of her life to the extent that she was unable either emotionally or physically to leave his influence until she was 30 years old and ill with diabetes,” she said.
His sexual advances on the alleged victims began after his wife fell ill at one point, it was alleged. He started wearing aftershave and took to rubbing his unshaven chin on the womens’ faces, kissing them and leaving a red mark. He had started “making allusions to animal sexual activity from an article in a Beijing review, bulls covering each other or something such as that,” Cottage told the court.His sexual advances on the alleged victims began after his wife fell ill at one point, it was alleged. He started wearing aftershave and took to rubbing his unshaven chin on the womens’ faces, kissing them and leaving a red mark. He had started “making allusions to animal sexual activity from an article in a Beijing review, bulls covering each other or something such as that,” Cottage told the court.
He beat the women, told them he could kill them using a single pressure point. Such was his mind-control that one alleged victim was terrified when she bought a pair of Levi’s jeans, because she was afraid the purchase meant the Americans were exerting mind control over her because she had bought a mark so identified with American imperialism, the jury heard. He beat the women, told them he could kill them using a single pressure point. Such was his mind control that one alleged victim was terrified when she bought a pair of Levi’s jeans, because she was afraid the purchase meant the Americans were exerting mind control over her because she had bought a mark so identified with American imperialism, the jury heard.
“From being a collective agitating for the rights of the proletariat the group had become the cult of Aravindan Balakrishnan who had deliberately undermined and psychologically abused them,” Cottage alleged. “From being a collective agitating for the rights of the proletariat, the group had become the cult of Aravindan Balakrishnan, who had deliberately undermined and psychologically abused them,” Cottage alleged.
He progressed to “full sexual degradation” with some, the court heard. He would force one alleged victim to give him oral sex and other degrading sexual acts and later raped her. He was sexually active with three women and said he was “cleansing” them.He progressed to “full sexual degradation” with some, the court heard. He would force one alleged victim to give him oral sex and other degrading sexual acts and later raped her. He was sexually active with three women and said he was “cleansing” them.
When one victim said she wanted to leave the group during a huge row, she hit Balakrishnan. But she was then held down by four other women while he punched her with both hands saying the fascists had got inside her and he was beating it out of her, the jury was told.When one victim said she wanted to leave the group during a huge row, she hit Balakrishnan. But she was then held down by four other women while he punched her with both hands saying the fascists had got inside her and he was beating it out of her, the jury was told.
The trial continues.The trial continues.