Editing Gloriavale Christian Community (section)

=== Neville Cooper ===
In 1994, founder Neville Cooper was convicted of 11 charges of [[indecent assault]] and sentenced to six years imprisonment. The [[Court of Appeal of New Zealand|New Zealand Court of Appeal]] quashed these convictions and ordered a new trial. In 1995, he was convicted on three counts of [[sexual abuse]] against young members of Gloriavale at his second trial based on the testimonies of his son and several young women who had fled the compound. Though Cooper was sentenced to five years imprisonment, he was released on bail after serving eleven months.<ref name="Stuff May 2015" /><ref name="NZH April 2009">{{cite news |last1=Quilliam |first1=Rebecca |title=Father tells of rescuing kids from West Coast cult |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/father-tells-of-rescuing-kids-from-west-coast-cult/BDIIVRLXRJGB3JVSQAFMAGPV6Q/ |access-date=12 September 2023 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |agency=[[New Zealand Press Association]] |date=23 April 2009 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309130121/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/father-tells-of-rescuing-kids-from-west-coast-cult/BDIIVRLXRJGB3JVSQAFMAGPV6Q/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Despite his conviction for sexual offending, Gloriavale's leaders withheld this information from the community and claimed that outsiders were persecuting Gloriavale and had spread lies about him. During his imprisonment, Cooper continued leading Gloriavale and regularly sent letters and consulted with the leadership.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gloriavale leader Hopeful Christian dies |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-leader-dies-bizarre-world-of-hopeful-christian/EJOZH4TVEGXUNRWN3FUPBFSLS4/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230122150532/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gloriavale-leader-dies-bizarre-world-of-hopeful-christian/EJOZH4TVEGXUNRWN3FUPBFSLS4/ |archive-date=2023-01-22 |access-date=2025-12-15 |work=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Cooper later changed his name to Hopeful Christian.<ref name="Stuff May 2015" /> Cooper died of cancer on 15 May 2018, aged 92.<ref>{{cite news
|title = Gloriavale founder Hopeful Christian dies aged 92
|url = http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/05/gloriavale-founder-hopeful-christian-dies-aged-92-report.html
|access-date = 15 May 2018
|work = [[Newshub]]
|date = 15 May 2018
|archive-date = 15 May 2018
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180515112434/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2018/05/gloriavale-founder-hopeful-christian-dies-aged-92-report.html
|url-status = dead
}}</ref>