Editing Gloriavale Christian Community (section)

=== Official investigations ===
Stories of child abuse, rape, and other forms of cruelty and subjugation have emerged.<ref>{{cite web |date=4 October 2018 |title=Gloriavale dad Clem Ready hit daughters with shoe, slipper, belt as discipline |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/107597291/gloriavale-dad-clem-ready-hit-daughters-with-shoe-slipper-belt-as-discipline |access-date=18 October 2018 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |publisher=[[Stuff (company)|Stuff]] |archive-date=18 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018122440/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/107597291/gloriavale-dad-clem-ready-hit-daughters-with-shoe-slipper-belt-as-discipline |url-status=live }}</ref> A wide-ranging government investigation into the community began in 2015, leading to a number of charges.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gates |first1=Charlie |date=29 March 2017 |title=Gloriavale: Nine questions we can answer, and one we can't |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/west-coast/90924638/gloriavale-nine-questions-we-can-answer-and-one-we-cant |access-date=3 April 2017 |archive-date=29 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729044718/http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/west-coast/90924638/gloriavale-nine-questions-we-can-answer-and-one-we-cant |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=7 April 2022 |title=61 people involved in alleged offending at Gloriavale – police |work=[[1News]] |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/04/06/61-people-involved-in-alleged-offending-at-gloriavale-police/ |access-date=7 April 2022 |archive-date=7 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407101409/https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/04/06/61-people-involved-in-alleged-offending-at-gloriavale-police/ |url-status=live }}</ref> News of controversial practices in the community led to the police making daily checks on the community in 2018.<ref name="hub">{{cite news |date=13 February 2018 |title=Gloriavale under pressure as police make daily visits to remote West Coast community |work=[[Newshub]] |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/gloriavale-under-pressure-as-police-make-daily-visits-to-remote-west-coast-community.html |access-date=18 October 2018 |archive-date=18 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018122636/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/02/gloriavale-under-pressure-as-police-make-daily-visits-to-remote-west-coast-community.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Operation Minneapolis ====
In July 2020, the [[New Zealand Police]] in conjunction with [[Oranga Tamariki]] launched Operation Minneapolis, an investigation into child abuse at Gloriavale, after receiving information about alleged abuse of an 11-year-old boy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Beyer|first=Kurt|date=20 September 2021|title=Probe identifies 'numerous victims'|page=2|work=Hokitika Guardian}}</ref> In September 2020, a 20-year-old man was charged with doing an indecent act on three boys between the ages of 12 and 16 years.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carroll |first1=Joane |title=Gloriavale man, 20, charged with indecent acts on three boys |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/122860838/gloriavale-man-20-charged-with-indecent-acts-on-three-boys |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=23 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006042928/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/122860838/gloriavale-man-20-charged-with-indecent-acts-on-three-boys |archive-date=6 October 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> He was discharged in September 2021 without conviction after pleading guilty – the offences had occurred when he himself was a teenager and the court felt there was a low risk of him reoffending.<ref name=":0" />

==== Independent inquiry of allegations of sexual abuse at Gloriavale ====
On 22 March 2021, [[1News]] reported that two Christchurch-based lawyers Nicholas Davidson [[King's Counsel|KC]] and Stephanie Grieve had been asked by the trustees of Gloriavale's governing Christian Church Community Trust to hold an independent inquiry of allegations of sexual abuse at Gloriavale.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Boswell |first1=Ryan |date=21 March 2021 |title=Christchurch lawyers to lead independent inquiry into Gloriavale sexual abuse allegations |url=https://www.1news.co.nz/2021/03/21/christchurch-lawyers-to-lead-independent-inquiry-into-gloriavale-sexual-abuse-allegations/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321064838/https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/christchurch-lawyers-lead-independent-inquiry-into-gloriavale-sexual-abuse-allegations |archive-date=21 March 2021 |access-date=22 March 2021 |work=[[1News]]}}</ref>

==== Investigation into Gloriavale Christian School ====
On 11 August 2021, the New Zealand Police, Oranga Tamariki and the Teaching Council confirmed that they were investigating allegations of physical and sexual abuse of students at Gloriavale's school, which has 204 students ranging from Year 1 to Year 11. Several staff had also been stood down for unspecified reasons.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Naish |first1=Joanne |date=11 August 2021 |title=Gloriavale School under investigation for allegations about child safety |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/126038234/gloriavale-school-under-investigation-for-allegations-about-child-safety |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210809214723/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-ashley-bloomfield-apologises-to-mps-for-giving-wrong-information-on-infected-un-staffer/OC22N33XBF26GCD5OAC5KCFMWI/ |archive-date=9 August 2021 |access-date=11 August 2021 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bolger |first1=Devon |date=11 August 2021 |title=Gloriavale School focus of police investigation into Christian community |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-school-focus-of-police-investigation-into-christian-community/2S33DKRB77H6CAFLV6KP4XOMIQ/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210810223800/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-school-focus-of-police-investigation-into-christian-community/2S33DKRB77H6CAFLV6KP4XOMIQ/ |archive-date=10 August 2021 |access-date=11 August 2021 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]]}}</ref> Police claimed that at least 60 people in Gloriavale had been involved in "harmful sexual behaviour".<ref name=":0" />

On 26 May 2022, the New Zealand Teachers' Disciplinary Tribunal suspended the teaching license of former Gloriavale Christian School principal Faithful Pilgrim for three years. Pilgrim had endorsed the teaching license of a teacher named Just Standfast, who had sexually abused a child on two occasions in 2012 and 2016. The Tribunal had investigated Pilgrim after receiving a complaint from the Gloriavale Leaders' Trust that he had endangered children by covering up the teacher's offending. Standfast pleaded guilty to a charge of sexual contact with a child in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Naish |first1=Joanne |date=26 May 2022 |title=Gloriavale principal knew of sexual offending but allowed teacher to continue working |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128773719/gloriavale-principal-knew-of-sexual-offending-but-allowed-teacher-to-continue-working |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526180139/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/128773719/gloriavale-principal-knew-of-sexual-offending-but-allowed-teacher-to-continue-working |archive-date=26 May 2022 |access-date=28 May 2022 |work=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Jean |date=27 May 2022 |title=Sanction of former Gloriavale school principal 'a little soft', trust says |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/467957/sanction-of-former-gloriavale-school-principal-a-little-soft-trust-says |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526220815/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/467957/sanction-of-former-gloriavale-school-principal-a-little-soft-trust-says |archive-date=26 May 2022 |access-date=28 May 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]]}}</ref>

In mid September 2022, Gloriavale Christian School principal Rachel Stedfast claimed that a small group of people had made a coordinated campaign to close down the school by filing complaints against most of its teachers. As a result of the complaints, the affected teachers had been suspended from their teaching duties while the complaints were being investigated. Stedfast stated that none of the suspended teachers had been accused of physical sexual abuse.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Jean |date=15 September 2022 |title=Gloriavale Christian School principal hits out at critics |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/474846/gloriavale-christian-school-principal-hits-out-at-critics |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220915082055/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/474846/gloriavale-christian-school-principal-hits-out-at-critics |archive-date=15 September 2022 |access-date=21 September 2022 |work=[[Radio New Zealand]]}}</ref>

===== Abuse in Care inquiry =====
{{Expand section|date=December 2025}}
On 16 October 2025, [[New Zealand Police|Police]] and [[Oranga Tamariki]] revealed they conducted an investigation into the practice of silencing babies and children by covering their mouths and noses. During the Abuse in Care inquiry, they heard from ex Gloriavale members that the group's founder, Hopeful Christian, taught parents to cover children's mouths and noses to stop them crying, until the child was struggling to breathe. As a result of the investigation, two unnamed Gloriavale members were given formal warnings. The Police and Oranga Tamariki conducted a meeting at Gloriavale to educate the community on the physical, emotional and legal ramifications of the practice.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 October 2025 |title=Formal warnings issued to members of Glorivale who silenced babies and children by covering their mouths and noses |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/576127/formal-warnings-issued-to-members-of-glorivale-who-silenced-babies-and-children-by-covering-their-mouths-and-noses |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251016213841/https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/576127/formal-warnings-issued-to-members-of-glorivale-who-silenced-babies-and-children-by-covering-their-mouths-and-noses |archive-date=16 October 2025 |access-date=17 October 2025 |work=Radio New Zealand}}</ref>