Inside extremist Christian sect the Exclusive Brethren - who are accused of covering up child sex abuse and 'making secret donations to the Liberal Party'

Daily Mail, UK/June 18, 2016

By Nelson Groom

Harrowing revelations of child abuse have come to light about the Australian branch of an extremist Christian sect known as the Exclusive Brethren.

A Sydney Morning Herald report has told of the sordid inner workings of the group, who are believed to cover up cases of child sex abuse as well as make secret donations to the Liberal Party.

An unnamed young victim from regional NSW claimed she revealed to her mother she was being molested by a high-ranking church member before being pressured out of exposing the abuse.

The victim's mother took the girl to the house of Lindsay Jensen - who was allegedly abusing her - in mid-2002.

After a thorough interrogation from Mr Jensen she signed a note saying she had lied about the abuse.

'I have always thought of the relationship between Lindsay and I as a father/daughter relationship…And I was glad for it because I needed some sort of father,' she wrote in the note.

'The things that I said that happened, I don't believe they happened at all.'

The girl's sister later claimed she too was abused by Mr Jensen, before being subjected to the same silencing tactics. 

A recent study from UK psychologist Jill Mytton found 27 per cent of 264 former members reported being sexually abused as children.

Also recently coming to light are secret donations the group has made to the Liberal Party, reports Sydney Morning Herald. 

Dozens of members of the group donated more than $67,000 to the Liberal Party in December 2010.

The donations were exposed in documents at the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption during an investigation into the Liberal Party's funding. 

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull insisted on Saturday he had 'no complaints' about the Exclusive Brethren, after the group's donations were made public.

Mr Turnbull told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday religious groups were entitled to donate, while insisting the coalition was being 'massively outspent' by Labor. 

The Exclusive Brethren was thrust into the spotlight in 2006 after they dedicated $370,461 to contribute to the 2004 election on behalf of John Howard, whom they were closely aligned with.

The sect, who have since renamed themselves the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, is a Protestant sect of 40,000 worldwide members and 15,000 in Australia.

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