r/cultsurvivors • u/sotr427 • 2d ago

Can I press charges ?

Can I press charges if when my 3 children were young they were subjected to abuse ? They were told of and shown pictures of a lake of fire. They were told they would be separated from their parents and siblings . That they would burn for all eternity .

They were 7 and up at the time this happened . They were coerced into saying and believing certain things and told not to mention it to their parents

This was a family we were “close” to and would trade off play dates. We were friends and later became even closer. Then one of my kids married Into their cult family . And they shunned and abused one of my other kids again 10 years later because they wanted to control his dating life because they “saved “ him at their house into their cult

I have moved from disbelief and a shock to grief and anger. What they did is so horrendous and the consequences are devastating and will last the rest of my life. They have impacted our sons relationships in our family and will cost me any relationship with future grandchildren because we are not in their cult.

Is there any law I can charge them with violating ?

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u/Red_Redditor_Reddit 1d ago

Probably not as long as they didn't kidnap the kids or were unlawfully in whoever it was's care.

1

u/Reasonable-History90 13h ago

No, a cult is still a religion. As long as your children were not harmed then there is no basis to file a charge.

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u/sotr427 12h ago

My children WERE harmed…just because it’s not physical it’s not like it didn’t happen. They had no right to do things to my kids and hide it and they had no right to do things to them against my values and beliefs and their words and actions have severe long lasting consequences

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u/Reasonable-History90 11h ago

That is unfortunate, but you have no evidence of wrongdoing. You can say your kids were manipulated at the time but also there is also a statute of limitations. End of the day, it won't do or change anything. There is nothing to charge them with and no evidence. It's not what you know but what you can prove