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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 commune in Brixton in the 1970s imprisoned and beat his daughter and raped and assaulted two other women in a secret cult that existed for 34 years, a court has heard. A communist revolutionary who led a Maoist commune in Brixton in the 1970s imprisoned and beat his daughter, and raped and assaulted two other women in a secret cult that existed for 34 years, a court has heard.
Aravindan Balakrishnan told his daughter to worship him “as God” and threatened that “everybody who leaves dies”, Southwark crown court heard.Aravindan Balakrishnan told his daughter to worship him “as God” and threatened that “everybody who leaves dies”, Southwark crown court heard.
Comrade Bala, as he was known, who set up the Workers Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, is accused of falsely imprisoning his daughter for 14 years until she escaped aged 30 in 2013. Comrade Bala, as he was known, who set up the Workers’ Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, is accused of falsely imprisoning his daughter for 14 years until she escaped aged 30 in 2013.
A jury heard he mentally and physically abused her while claiming he was cleansing her of fascist influences. A jury heard that he mentally and physically abused her while claiming he was cleansing her of fascist influences.
Balakrishnan is also accused of the rape, sexual assault, and assault of two female followers at a series of communes in Brixton, Tooting Bec and Clapham. He insisted only he and the Chinese dictator Chairman Mao had the authority to “lead the world to revolution to establish an international dictatorship of the proletariat”. Balakrishnan is also accused of the rape, sexual assault and assault of two female followers at a series of communes in Brixton, Tooting Bec and Clapham. He insisted that only he and the Chinese dictator Mao Zedong, who died in 1976, had the authority to “lead the world to revolution to establish an international dictatorship of the proletariat”.
Balakrishan, now 75 with thinning grey hair and thick glasses, sat impassive in the dock as he heard that he faces a total of 16 charges, all of which he denies. Balakrishnan, now 75 with thinning grey hair and thick glasses, sat impassively in the dock as he heard that he faced a total of 16 charges, all of which he denies.
He was arrested in November 2013 when his daughter left the commune, alongside two other longstanding commune members.He was arrested in November 2013 when his daughter left the commune, alongside two other longstanding commune members.
She had been “bullied, beaten and separated from the world”, said Rosina Cottage QC for the prosecution. “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.” She had been “bullied, beaten and separated from the world”, said Rosina Cottage QC, for the prosecution. “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.”
The jury of four women and eight men heard how Balakrishnan’s ethos inside the secretive commune combined communism, the supernatural and routine violence.The jury of four women and eight men heard how Balakrishnan’s ethos inside the secretive commune combined communism, the supernatural and routine violence.
When the massacre of pro-democracy protesters happened at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, he told the commune he “wished it had been 3,000,000” killed. He would curse those who paid tribute on TV to people who died in events such as the 7/7 London bombings, Cottage said. He would rail against “ugly dirty whites” who he considered fascist agents.When the massacre of pro-democracy protesters happened at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, he told the commune he “wished it had been 3,000,000” killed. He would curse those who paid tribute on TV to people who died in events such as the 7/7 London bombings, Cottage said. He would rail against “ugly dirty whites” who he considered fascist agents.
He beat his daughter from the age of four, which he said he was obliged to do, the court heard, otherwise “Jackie”, an invisible force with magical powers and a mind control machine, would kill or torture her. Jackie stood for Jehovah, Allah, Christ, Krishna and Immortal Easwaran and would cause earthquakes, fires and tornados if anyone went against Balakrishnan, he is alleged to have claimed. When the girl vomited, aged four, Cottage said he kicked her in the head and threw her out. She thought she would be killed as that is what he always said would happen if she ever left the house, Cottage said. He beat his daughter from the age of four, which he said he was obliged to do, the court heard, otherwise “Jackie”, an invisible force with magical powers and a mind control machine, would kill or torture her. Jackie stood for Jehovah, Allah, Christ, Krishna and Immortal Easwaran and would cause earthquakes, fires and tornadoes if anyone went against Balakrishnan, he is alleged to have claimed.
When the girl vomited, aged four, Cottage said he kicked her in the head and threw her out. She thought she would be killed as that is what he always said would happen if she ever left the house, Cottage said.
Aged five, when his daughter said she liked the sound of the word Israel better than Palestine, Balakrishnan “slapped her face and dragged her across the floor for being reactionary”. He would also order others in the commune to beat her if she tried to cuddle them, the court heard.Aged five, when his daughter said she liked the sound of the word Israel better than Palestine, Balakrishnan “slapped her face and dragged her across the floor for being reactionary”. He would also order others in the commune to beat her if she tried to cuddle them, the court heard.
For the whole time they were together, Balakrishnan denied he was her parent, claiming instead that her father died “during [the] peoples’ war” and that her mother, who was in fact her main carer in the collective, died in childbirth. The result was she had a feeling of “being a non-person that she carried through her life until she left the collective”, said Cottage.For the whole time they were together, Balakrishnan denied he was her parent, claiming instead that her father died “during [the] peoples’ war” and that her mother, who was in fact her main carer in the collective, died in childbirth. The result was she had a feeling of “being a non-person that she carried through her life until she left the collective”, said Cottage.
Balakrishnan’s alleged crimes began after a period in which he had been “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, the jury heard. As his influence waned, the collective was reduced to him and just six women. The commune doors were locked “to keep out the fascist agents”. Balakrishnan’s alleged crimes began after a period in which he had been “a charismatic man and a vivid and energetic speaker”, drawing about 100 followers with his plan to overthrow the fascist state, as he saw Britain in the 1970s, the jury heard.
Two other women in the commune whom Balakrishnan is alleged to have raped, assaulted and sexually assaulted “were cowed into submission” and “stayed in the collective too frightened to leave and hating to stay”, the jury heard. Cottage said: “He seemed to exult in his power over them.” As his influence waned, the collective was reduced to him and just six women. The commune doors were locked “to keep out the fascist agents”.
His sexual advances on the alleged victims began after his wife fell ill, 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. Two other women in the commune, whom Balakrishnan is alleged to have raped, assaulted and sexually assaulted, “were cowed into submission” and “stayed in the collective too frightened to leave and hating to stay”, the jury heard. Cottage said: “He seemed to exult in his power over them.”
His sexual advances on the alleged victims began after his wife fell ill, it was alleged. He started wearing aftershave and took to rubbing his unshaven chin on the women’s 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 allegedly beat the women and told them he could kill them using a single pressure point. Such was his control that one alleged victim was terrified when she bought a pair of Levi’s jeans, because she feared Americans might be controlling her mind, the jury heard.He allegedly beat the women and told them he could kill them using a single pressure point. Such was his control that one alleged victim was terrified when she bought a pair of Levi’s jeans, because she feared Americans might be controlling her mind, the jury heard.
“From being a collective agitating for the rights of the proletariat the group had become the cult of Aravindan Balakrishnan,” Cottage said. “From being a collective agitating for the rights of the proletariat, the group had become the cult of Aravindan Balakrishnan,” Cottage said.
He progressed to “full sexual degradation” with some, the court heard. He forced 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 forced one alleged victim to give him oral sex and other sexual acts and later raped her. He was sexually active with three women and said he was “cleansing” them.
One woman, a nurse, came from Malaysia and joined the collective around 1977 and was beaten by Balakrishnan and was too scared to leave, Cottage said. One woman, a nurse, came from Malaysia and joined the collective in about 1977 and was beaten by Balakrishnan and became too scared to leave, Cottage said.
“The defendant would come storming into the room and just swipe her across the face or give her a whack with no warning at all,” she told the jury.“The defendant would come storming into the room and just swipe her across the face or give her a whack with no warning at all,” she told the jury.
When she tried to resist his sexual advances one day “he punched her in the stomach with his right hand and she was pushed against the wall where she doubled over”, Cottage said. It is alleged he forced her to give him oral sex and told her to swallow his semen and “drink the elixir of life”.When she tried to resist his sexual advances one day “he punched her in the stomach with his right hand and she was pushed against the wall where she doubled over”, Cottage said. It is alleged he forced her to give him oral sex and told her to swallow his semen and “drink the elixir of life”.
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 during a huge row that she wanted to leave the group, 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.
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.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.
The child never knew Davies was her mother and in 1997 Davies died.The child never knew Davies was her mother and in 1997 Davies died.
The previous Christmas, when the girl was 13, she became distressed and started cutting herself. One night she heard shouting and saw her mother lying bound and gagged on the sitting room floor, Cottage said.The previous Christmas, when the girl was 13, she became distressed and started cutting herself. One night she heard shouting and saw her mother lying bound and gagged on the sitting room floor, Cottage said.
No help was called despite Davies being in “extreme mental distress”, the court heard, and the next day the child found her lying on the concrete below the bathroom window in a pool of blood, telling Balakrishnan: “Kill me.”No help was called despite Davies being in “extreme mental distress”, the court heard, and the next day the child found her lying on the concrete below the bathroom window in a pool of blood, telling Balakrishnan: “Kill me.”
She was admitted to hospital and died the following August.She was admitted to hospital and died the following August.
The trial continues.The trial continues.