The Hidden Children of Ruinerwold Farm BBC iplayer

[2Rebecca]

I watched this 4 part series in Dutch with subtitles this week. I seem to be reading a lot about cults at the moment both factual and fictional. This was about a man who had been a Moonie but then decided he was a guru and locked up (physically or psychologically) his wife and 9 children for over 10 years. 3 of them escaped but didn't raise the alarm and 8 years later another one escaped. Quite chilling watching videos the guy made of the very creepy man and cute trusting children.
I hope they're OK now but don't blame them for keeping out of the media now.

I watched 2 of the episodes.
I'm not sure I like the formula.
It's very intrusive for the children, now adults , who agreed to take part.
I do hope they're getting the support they need both psychological and in monetary terms.
It's them telling their story.
There are more questions than answers so far.
The wider community in the area - what did they think ?
What did they know ?
Some of the older children had gone to a local school.
Money ?
Where did it come from ?
Their father was charged with money laundering.
The father's accomplice. The aunts. Paternal or maternal.
Why should he get off because he had a stroke.
Sexual abuse of children.
What about the younger children ?
Why didn't the children who escaped tell the authorities so the younger children could be brought out.

I agree, the way the bloke who was an accomplice and who enabled this was omitted from the documentary was bizarre and the older children should have tried to help their younger siblings and where the money came from wasn't explained. It was all very odd.

I haven't seen it all yet.
Extraordinary that his prosecution was terminated.
Where is justice ?
More questions - how was Jan on social media before he ran away ? They had the internet ?
How was he able to buy 5 pints at the bar he ran away to ?
Where did the money come from ?

Why oh why didn't the escaped older children not alert the authorities ?
Were was the money coming from ?

Are there other Ruinerwold farm scenarios here in Ireland where I live or in the UK ?
Probably

So many questions.

The older children seemed so normal considering everything.

What was going on with the mum? Did she really believe or was she trapped (9 kids and nowhere to go?)

I don't blame the older ones, I think they were caught in thinking that they would rip the family apart - even though it was massively dysfunctional.

It must have played on their minds a lot after they left.

Just goes to show you never know about the people who pass you in the street.

To see the young man out running or cycling you'd never know he'd exited a cult.

I know they said the dad wasn't simply a monster, he was also their dad but the sexual assault, forced isolation/starving - and what about when he pushes the little girl off her seat violently and suddenly?? then she's crying and scared and he cradles her? Made me feel physically ill, typical bullying and gas lighting - she had to accept his 'cuddle' as he is so much stronger in every way.

Vile.

Glad at the end he was too ill to leave hospital - and the 9 children were rebuilding their lives and supporting each other.

The thing the dad did where he played them off against each other didn't in the end work. They have each other and that's a wonderful thing, hope they manage to heal from their trauma. The way the children look in those films. So scared of what might happen next.

And how was nothing picked up on for the ones who went to school?