A hymn book used by members of the sect referred to as the Two by Twos. Photo: Supplied
This story discusses details of sexual abuse.
The FBI is sharing information about alleged sexual abuse within an underground religious group with New Zealand police as part of its global investigation.
Just over a year ago, the US agency took the unusual step of publicly asking victims to come forward, as it probed the religious group which has no official name but is commonly known as the Two by Twos.
"If you have information about this ongoing investigation or believe your child or other children may have been victimized by individuals affiliated with 2x2, the FBI requests you complete a short online questionnaire," the FBI said.
Until then, little had been publicised about the group in New Zealand.
The Christian sect has no official name or buildings, is not registered as a charity, and its members meet in homes.
A hallmark of the sect is that its ministers are volunteers who travel in pairs and stay in members' homes, relying on gifts or donations to meet their expenses.
This week, people who responded to the FBI's request for information received an email from the New Zealand police.
"I am sending this email as you have taken part in the FBI's enquiry into the religious group that is known by various names, including 2x2, The Way, The Truth and The Church with No Name," the police said.
"The submissions made via the Tip line have been shared with Police Forces worldwide to assess potential follow-up actions regarding the reported offences."
The email, from the police's adult sexual assault team, then asked if the person would like to be contacted by police about their case and if they would like to be put in contact with a support agency.
The police confirmed they have recently contacted several people about alleged sexual offending connected to a sect.
"The purpose of making contact is to ensure anyone who may want to make a complaint has an appropriate avenue through which to do so, or so that any required support can be provided," a police spokesperson said.
Last year, the sect's New Zealand leader earlier confirmed police here were investigating at least one former minister for historical abuse, and the group was aware of 14 cases of allegations against members.
Police have since charged two men, separately, with multiple counts of historical sexual offending against young boys.
Kerikeri man William Stephen Easton pleaded guilty abusing six boys in repeated, premeditated offending while he was part of the sect.
He was sentenced to 13 years in prison at Kaikohe District Court in December last year.
The 80-year-old was a minister of the Two by Twos when the offending took place.
Another 80-year-old man who was also part of the sect faces a raft of sex crime charges spanning almost two decades.
He has pleaded not guilty and is next due to appear in Whangārei District Court on 13 February.
The group has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand and cult-awareness experts said it has many markers of a cult.
Jillian Hishon grew up in the sect in Australia but left the religious group when she married someone who was not part of it.
She now runs a hotline set up for Australasian victims of the sect, under The Brave Truth Australia and NZ, after evidence of child abuse emerged out of the US last year.
Hishon said it has taken a high-profile FBI investigation overseas and multiple reports of child abuse in other countries for New Zealand victims to come forward to the hotline.
She said it is heartening to know the police are following up with those who responded to the FBI's request for victims to come forward.
"It's really important for them to have had this follow-up from the New Zealand police, from the FBI. First of all, it lets them know their enquiry has been heard, that it's gone through to them and that they are taking it further."
Hishon said it would be important for survivors to be supported, which is something the police have offered.
"When people have never been through the court system or made reports or anything like that before it's a really daunting process.
"For someone to reach out and say we're here to support you if you need that, we can just discuss it, I think that's a really good thing," she said.
"I would encourage any survivor to go straight to [the] police, to not necessarily deal with any leaders in the fellowship.
"There's been massive breaches of confidentiality amongst leaders in Australia and New Zealand and it can make a real mess of things."
Where to get help:
- The Brave Truth confidential hotline +61 489 994 566
- NZ Police.
- Victim Support 0800 842 846.
- Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00.
- Rape Prevention Education.
- Empowerment Trust.
- HELP (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655.
- Safe to talk: 0800 044 334.
- Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa.
- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496.
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
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