The Victorian Parliament’s Inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and coercive high-control groups has tabled its final report, with 39 recommendations. We want to start by acknowledging the courage of the victim-survivors who gave evidence. ACL supports protecting vulnerable people from coercive and controlling conduct, raising community awareness, and ensuring survivors receive proper support.
But we’re disappointed that the final recommendations contain no explicit safeguards for religious freedom or mainstream churches – despite assurances during the inquiry that reforms would strike an appropriate balance.
An offence with no definition
Our key concern is that the conduct to be captured by a proposed ‘coercive high-control group’ offence remains undefined. The report refers legislative options to the Victorian Law Reform Commission, with criminalisation proposed by 2029. Without clear statutory definitions, there is a real risk that mainstream churches and legitimate religious practice could be wrongly captured – based on subjective interpretation rather than objective evidence of criminal or coercive conduct.
The report suggests reforms should distinguish organisations by ‘behaviours rather than beliefs’. That’s difficult to apply in practice. For many faith communities, beliefs and practices are inseparable, and attempting to separate them risks mischaracterising legitimate religious expression.
Homeschooling and who gets a seat at the table
We’re also concerned by recommendations to review homeschooling and to establish victim-survivor-led advisory bodies.
Homeschooling is a lawful and legitimate educational choice that reflects parents’ fundamental right to direct the education of their children. It should not be stigmatised by association with coercive groups without clear evidence.
And while the lived experiences of victim-survivors are invaluable, any advisory body should also include representatives from mainstream Christian denominations and organisations like ACL, to ensure balanced advice that properly weighs religious freedom alongside child protection.
What we told the inquiry
As we said in our submission, the conduct at the heart of this inquiry – assault, sexual offences, fraud – is already criminal under existing law. The priority should be enforcement, community awareness and properly resourced support for survivors, not new offences of uncertain scope.
The Victorian Government has six months to respond to the report. We urge it to strike the right balance between protecting people from genuine cults and safeguarding fundamental freedoms. Protecting vulnerable people and protecting religious freedom are not competing objectives. Victoria can and should do both.
