From Claire Borowik for the Family International
Re Escaping a Cult
To Montel Williams Show and Producers
I am writing to express how appalled I am at your program’s one-sided coverage. This is the second time you are airing a program featuring former members of my church, the Family International, and their allegations without contacting our church, or providing us an opportunity of response. You don’t even provide any means to contact you or send in any information.
I particularly protest on behalf of the Family the remark that “They alleged that physical, emotional, and sexual abuse are common, even encouraged, within the community.” This allegation has no basis in fact, and certainly is not in line with the findings of courts on three continents that investigated the Family in the early ‘90s. Over 700 children born in the Family were examined at that time by court-appointed authorities, and physical, emotional, psychological and educational evaluations were carried out. Not a single case of neglect, or abuse was found, and in each case, Family communities were deemed safe environments for the children being raised in them. A truly investigative report could not ignore those findings.
If you truly wish to exercise professional journalism, you would not ignore the voices of the 500+ young people born into the Family who tell their side of the story at www.myconclusion.com. Many of these are parents themselves, raising a third generation. Their children are the ones who will suffer from this sort of irresponsible reporting. My challenge to your program is to dare to be objective, dare to report that thousands of young people born in the Family object to this sort of biased coverage and that the former members on your program don’t speak on their behalf or represent their upbringing, much less the actuality of the Family of 2007.
Claire Borowik
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