What comes to mind when you read the word ‘cult’?

A podcast you once binged? A Netflix documentary everyone was talking about? Maybe even rumours about a certain Blue Mountains cafe?

But cults aren’t just the stuff of true-crime tales. In Victoria, there is mounting evidence of harmful practices within certain high-control or “cult-like” groups, and concerns that current laws may not fully protect people caught up in them.

Testimonies from survivors have grown so significantly that now the Victorian Government is undertaking a parliamentary inquiry to try and answer the question: Does the state have a cult problem?

Today, we’ll explore more about this inquiry and the survivors at the centre of it.

In Australia, there’s no standard legal definition for a cult. Experts instead point to common patterns such as extreme influence over a person’s daily life — including who they see, where they go, and how they spend their time.

Reports of extreme coercive behaviour at a doomsday church called the Geelong Revival Centre (GRC) helped trigger the current inquiry. Former GRC members were among the first to testify.

Estimates of the scale of cults in Australia range from a few hundred to over 3,000. But without a formal legal framework to define them, they’re difficult to track.

Cults aren’t always religious. Any group united by a central belief system can tip into high-control territory, and Australia has even seen cases of wellness and lifestyle-based groups operating in this way.

As part of its inquiry, a Victorian Government committee surveyed 317 former cult members.

95% of respondents experienced psychological harm. Of that group, around 82% were subjected to mind control techniques or indoctrination, and fear‑based teachings or apocalyptic beliefs.

As one respondent put it: “Growing up inside this group has wired my brain for very black and white thinking. I am having to learn what I love and hate, because I had no choices for the past 13 years.”

Clare Heath-McIvor is an advocate for cult survivors. She was born and raised in the City Builders Church (CBC) in eastern Victoria.

“It's still uncomfortable to call it a cult,” she told TDA, “even though it definitely fits the definition.”

Clare says she was forced into an arranged marriage at a young age with a man who had been subjected to gay conversion practices. She began questioning her upbringing after falling pregnant with her first child and was eventually “shunned” from the church.

“I wouldn't have been able to carry that pregnancy to term if I had [stayed] in that high-stress environment,” she said.

To this day, Clare’s family remain connected to the CBC, including her sister, Victorian Liberal MP Renee Heath.

Cults are typically hallmarked by a continuing cycle of recruitment.

Clare alleged the CBC made “concentrated efforts” to infiltrate the Victorian National and Liberal parties to grow their influence.

The inquiry’s survey found that about 22% of members are born into high-control groups. The most common recruitment method was through a friend or family member (38%). Almost 12% said they were recruited “during a time of personal hardship”.

25-year-old Daniel was at Swinburne University when he first encountered the group that would later consume his life.

“I was at the help desk waiting for someone,” he told TDA, “and this young woman came up to me and said, ‘Has anyone ever told you you look like Jesus?’”

Universities are well-known recruiting hotspots. Daniel says young students looking for independence and a sense of purpose make for ideal targets.

“It’s very hard to recruit someone if mum and dad are looking over their shoulder,” he said.

Swinburne told TDA it was aware of cult activity on campus, calling it a “sector-wide issue”.

Multiple universities have given evidence to the Victorian inquiry, describing their campuses as “hunting grounds” for cult-recruiters.

Australian Catholic University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Julie Cogin said they had reported incidents to police, but officers “were not equipped” to handle the complaints.

Other former cult members say they were approached by a stranger in a shopping centre, or referred in through trusted family and friends.

“ Normal people can get sucked into these things,” said Daniel, “It's not like what you'd see in a movie where a white van pulls up and someone gets kidnapped.”

It wasn’t until months after joining a Bible study group that Daniel learned he was actually part of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ), a Korean-based group known for highly structured recruitment.

“I think the main reason I stayed was because they'd gotten so deep inside my head that I didn’t want to leave,” he said.

Daniel hoped he’d be able to confide in the friends he’d made at SCJ about his doubts and leave the group together. Eventually, he discovered these “friendships” were manufactured.

“I realised all the people I’d met, all the people I believed were my friends, were actually handlers…to make sure I didn’t deviate from the path they wanted me on.”

Survey results show Daniel’s experience is common. Life inside high-control groups is marked by psychological manipulation and limited autonomy.

Over 85% of respondents “experienced a loss of personal freedoms,” affecting education, healthcare, relationships, and work.

Financial exploitation was common, with more than half coerced into handing over large portions of their income or performing unpaid labour.

82% reported feeling pressure to remain or scared of punishment for leaving, often through threats of shunning from loved ones.

Daniel said he was intimidated into staying in SCJ. The group told him: “Your family will start telling you not to go to these Bible studies,” or “your friends… or even your job” will “demand more of your time”. But all those things are a ‘Satanic attack’ to try and take you away from the truth that God is leading you into.”

Physical harm was also common, with 52% experiencing violence, sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, child abuse, neglect, or several of these harms.

Clare told the inquiry she was aware of multiple cases of sexual violence in her former community that were never reported.

Cult survivors detail profound and long-lasting psychological impacts. “Even though I am free now, I still feel trapped by their rules,” one former member said.

There is no turning back for many of the Australians who’ve left these high-control groups. Clare and Daniel now work to support these survivors.

Clare runs an advocacy group called the Survivors of Coercive Cults and High-Control Groups. She says survivors commonly experience PTSD and deep guilt about leaving the communities that once defined their lives.

“A lot of us end up with autoimmune disorders because our bodies are just so tired, but it’s a consequence of having to go, go, go and constantly perform, constantly be happy and joyful and peaceful while squashing everything else down,” she said.

Clare has called for the inquiry to establish an independent commissioner for cults and high-control groups.

“In Victoria alone, there are around 30 different pieces of law and around 21 government departments that hold some responsibility for areas of cultic abuse,” she said.

The committee is now examining whether current laws are strong enough to deal with groups that use manipulation in ways that seriously harm people.

Some religious groups, including the Australian Christian Lobby, have raised concerns about how the inquiry could affect religious freedoms.

The inquiry has countered this, stating that freedom of religion is not “freedom to defraud, nor freedom to cause significant psychological or psychiatric harm.”

The inquiry will deliver its report by September 2026. Its findings will likely shape future protections for people vulnerable to coercive, high-control groups.

If today’s newsletter has raised any issues for you, help is available 24/7 through Lifeline on 13 11 14. For family and sexual violence support, contact 1800 RESPECT on
1800 737 732. Blue Knot provides complex trauma support on 1300 657 380.

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