The leader of a communist cult is being made to face the law for effectively imprisoning his own daughter for 30 years while also carrying out a brutal campaign of sexual degradation on followers.
Aravindan Balakrishnan
Aravindan Balakrishnan, who set up the Workers Institute of Marxism–Leninism–Mao Zedong Thought, is accused imprisoning his daughter whom he mentally and physically abused almost from birth, claiming he was cleansing her of fascist influences.
The 75-year-old Balakrishnan, of Enfield, is also being accused of convincing female followers that he was "all-powerful and all-seeing." He has been charged and is being tried at Southwark Crown Court, London.
BBC reports that Jurors at Southwark Crown Court also heard Mr Balakrishnan's daughter "barely left the house" as he imprisoned her and made her practically worship him through all the years.
Balakrishnan allegedly beat and raped two female acolytes at communes where he insisted only he, Comrade Bala, and Chairman Mao had the authority to “lead the world to revolution to establish an international dictatorship of the proletariat”.
He is facing trial for false imprisonment and child cruelty against his daughter as well as rape, sexual assault and physical assault against two other women, who cannot be named.
According to The Guardian, Balakrishan, sat impassive in the dock as he heard he faces a total of four charges of rape, six of indecent assault, three charges of actual bodily harm, cruelty to a person under 16 and false imprisonment.
Balakrishnan however denieed the charges including four counts of rape and seven of indecent assault.
He was arrested in November 2013 when his daughter left the commune with the help of the Freedom Charity, alongside two other longstanding commune members, Aishah Wahab and Josie Herivel.
The trial continues.