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‘This Is A Wake Up Call’: Daughter Of Cult Leader Opens Up After Explosive Jesus The Saviour Community Interview

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The daughter of a religious group leader has opened up after her father went on national television to defend the group’s actions.

“It’s horrible to see because he was such a good person and now he’s totally brainwashed,” Amy Attard told Lovin Malta. Her father, Clyde Attard, is the leader of Jesus the Saviour Community,  a fundamental religious group that the Maltese Curia recently condemned.

He appeared alongside another group leader, Josette Bonello, during an episode of TVM’s show L-Erbgħa Fost il-Ġimgħa, hosted by Mark Laurence Zammit.

Reacting to the emotional episode, which saw a gay cancer survivor confront Bonello over how her mother was “manipulated”, Attard said she was “happy” that everyone was able to see the group’s leaders for themselves.

“Everyone realised what kind of people they are and that they are capable of manipulation,” Attard said.

Watch part of the interview below.

Attard wanted people to understand how serious the situation was, beyond the heated discussion on the show.

With families allegedly being torn apart by a group that would exercise widespread control over their members, Attard wanted clarity over the group’s methods.

“This is something very serious and not just people gossiping about each other. People have suffered because of these people, especially because of Josette. There are other communities like this in Malta, and this is a wake-up call to anyone who is being controlled because this can have serious mental effects.”

However, she couldn’t hide the fact that it was painful to see her own flesh and blood on television spouting such incredulous thoughts.

“I am really sad as I did not want to get my own family in the middle of this. But making the right decision is always the hardest thing to do,” she ended.

Another community member wrote a poem about the community, which is being represented in full below.

Why by Claudia Grama

Because they prey on the weak

Because they feed on the suffering

Because they take away every ounce of dignity you would have left

And tell you that that is a safe place

A place of respite

A place of safety

Until they leave you stuttering

Mumbling and questioning

But can you even question

What is out of your possession?

Until you trust them

And give every ounce of sanity you have left

But in my opinion its just theft

A sick lie

Until you find out that it is nothing but a scam

Nothing but a sick cult

Nothing but a path to take you away from God

Nothing but a traffic jam

In your life

Which you can’t move away from

But by then

It will be too late

You’re in and the only way out

Is to lose everything you would have already given

Trying to escape an unknown prison

Share this story to raise awareness of these religious groups in Malta

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Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]

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