17 charged in latest Qahal Yahweh raid
Published:Saturday | July 1, 2023 | 1:29 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
SEVENTEEN OF the 20 Qahal Yahweh members who were detained by the police yesterday morning have been charged with breaches of the Child Care and Protection Act.
They were taken into custody during a joint special operation of the security forces at their Paradise Avenue religious compound in Montego Bay, St James.
The charges come merely three weeks after the children of many of those now in custody were placed in state care.
The religious sect’s leader was also taken into custody, but up to press time, it was not clear whether he was charged.
The police confirmed that several exhibits, photographs, and other material of evidential value were removed from the compound by investigators.
“This operation is part of our continued efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals associated with the compound, particularly the children, following our action on June 7, 2023,” said a statement from the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) Corporate Communications Unit.
According to the JCF, it has been working closely with other government agencies and the families involved to ensure a thorough, fair, and considerate handling of the complex matter.
Representatives from the Ministry of Health and Wellness joined the law enforcement team in Friday’s operation, which was incident-free.
The Qahal Yahweh compound, which is located two doors away from the late Kevin Smith’s Pathway International Kingdom Restoration Ministries, made headlines in 2019, when the property was raided by the authorities, who removed the children of one of the leaders.
Those children have been reunited with their mother.
One former leader recently recounted a harrowing experience of alleged abuse he and his wife endured when they tried to leave the Paradise, Norwood, property five years ago.
The man revealed that he had moved there at the age of 29 and became deeply involved in the religious sect, while searching for a spiritual leader. He was introduced to the faith by a friend, and soon immersed himself in a community, where chastity of young females was highly valued.
“The leaders consider virginity as important due to the concept of priesthood. According to their beliefs, priests should only marry virgins. It is a profound ritual, almost like a secret binding that gives them a sense of autonomy within the organisation,” he stated.
Upon his arrival at the compound in 2017, he, too, was bestowed with a virgin partner and granted leadership status.
Parents had no say in whether their daughters were groomed for sexual orientation or forced into marriage, he said.
He accused the leaders of manipulating their followers through fear, thereby ensuring compliance. He revealed that he witnessed the beating of fellow members and children.
“Compliance became the norm to avoid punishment,” said the man, noting that during his time at the compound, more than 100 people resided there.
He left the church last December and over a month ago started to reveal information on his TikTok channel daily.