Cult leader charged with 22 sex offences

AAP, Australia/October 28, 2005

An 83-year-old cult leader will face a Sydney court on Friday charged with 22 sex offences relating to two adolescent girls.

Kenneth Emmanuel Dyers, co-founder of the so-called spiritual healing group Kenja, was arrested on Thursday morning at his home in Bundeena, in Sydney's south.

After several hours of questioning at Sutherland Police Station he was charged with the aggravated sexual and indecent assault of two 12-year-old girls.

The alleged offences happened at Kenja's offices in Surry Hills, in inner-Sydney, between December 2001 and July 2002.

Dyers, a World War II veteran, faces 17 aggravated indecent assault offences and one count of aggravated sexual assault in relation to the first girl, a NSW police spokeswoman said.

He also faces four aggravated indecent assault charges in relation to the other girl.

Police will allege the abuse occurred during the girls' one-on-one sessions with Dyers, which were "designed to assist in clearing negative energies," the spokeswoman said.

He was refused police bail and was remanded in custody to face Sutherland Local Court on Friday.

Dyers' lawyer Harland Koops told reporters his client had medical conditions and was "very unwell".

"He's going to defend these charges vigorously of course," Mr Koops said as he left the police station with Dyers' de facto wife, former actress Jan Hamilton.

Kenja Communication is a secretive, Sydney-based cult founded in 1982 by Dyers and Ms Hamilton.

Kenja, an anagram of their first names, is a non-religious organisation which preaches the positive power of a form of one-to-one meditation called "energy conversion".

Critics have accused it of practising mind control over its adherents.

Dyers claims on the Kenja website that he "developed a comprehensive background in business and success bringing out the positive potential and creativity towards others, in people".

He also claims to have done work in mental health.

Ms Hamilton, in her 50s, offers workshops in clowning.

Their website says the combination of Ms Hamilton's clowning training and Mr Dyers' lectures on energy conversion provided the genesis of what is now called Kenja.

Among former members of Kenja is Cornelia Rau, the former Qantas flight attendant wrongfully held in immigration detention.

Her sister Christine Rau said Ms Rau's mental health deteriorated during the several months she spent with the group.