Those who prey on others rarely soil their hands with the crimes they commit. They wield manipulation as a weapon, able to conjure any form of violence using only words and coercive persuasion techniques.
The major challenge faced by the Special Group on Cults within the National Police Information Division, led by a chief inspector recently interviewed by OPEN CASE, is to uncover and prove that beneath the harmless veneer of a leader who runs a spiritual, religious, therapeutic, or coaching group, there often lies a rapist, a pedophile, or a swindler. One who can convince victims to defend and follow him, blindly and unconditionally, to the bitter end.
The National Police have just launched the first operational plan for action and police coordination against destructive sects, along with the first large Observatory to prevent and prosecute crimes committed inside sectarian groups in the country. One of its aims is to continually improve the support given to victims and their families. Mothers, fathers, siblings, partners—people write daily to the group led by the chief inspector for help with problems that are new and unfamiliar to them.
Purified Mercury
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There is a rising problem, not new, with roughly 400,000 people affected by sectarian groups in the country. The police explain that visibility has grown as reporting increases and as operations reveal more. The team led by the chief inspector recently stopped a supposed guru who controlled followers by administering purified mercury, forcing them to work long hours and contribute financially to his Foundation, according to the police.
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Succeeding in part thanks to the operation named Absit, the arrest of a psychologist and his wife in Cáceres revealed therapies described as heterosexualizing, where victims were pressured into sexual activities with the group leader to “cure” their perceived sexual orientation. The police highlighted this as a case of coercive manipulation masking as therapeutic practice.
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No Specific Crime
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The cults group works to unmask manipulators and fraudsters, facing a unique hurdle: there is no single crime defined for destructive sects in Spain. French or Luxembourgian law includes specific provisions against exploitation of vulnerability, but in Spain investigators must present evidence that aligns with the Penal Code. The group relies on a range of applicable offenses, including collective crimes such as organized crime or illicit association.
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The great police challenge remains to show that a victim is being manipulated and is thus not acting freely
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Experts have warned for years that when a family member falls under the sway of a coercive group, loved ones watch in helpless silence as the person is isolated from their surroundings. They wait for a mistake in the group to reveal the crime taking place inside.
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Often the activities unfold in private settings, making it hard to find evidence. When those indicators appear, the judge authorizes investigative steps; without them, progress is difficult. The persistent aim is to demonstrate that a victim is under manipulation and not acting with independence.
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Just Like Domestic Violence
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It is common that victims do not recognize themselves as such and may justify the group’s conduct when speaking with officials. This resonates with experiences in violence against women or human trafficking, where manipulation and coercive techniques are shared across different crimes. Current investigations increasingly reflect this understanding, drawing on established research and methods from those areas.
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Like many victims of gender-based violence, those affected by sects may not see themselves as victims
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The inspector leading the group notes that the manipulation seen in gender violence cases bears similarities to tactics used in destructive sects. Leveraging those parallels allows researchers and investigators to apply proven methods and insights to sect-related cases and to strengthen awareness and response mechanisms. It is a shift that has become more pronounced as investigative practice has normalized and protocols have strengthened over the years.
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A Sect for Everyone
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Discussions about destructive sects also require debunking stereotypes. Not only someone with limited education can be drawn in, says the chief inspector. A moment of vulnerability can breach even the best protective instincts. Leaders tailor their groups to meet perceived demands; interest in organized religion has waned, while many groups now hinge on new spiritualities shaped by the current leader or on personal-growth narratives and pseudotherapies. Economic sects, including crypto-sects, have gained traction as well.
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The police emphasize that the group’s focus is less on the outward theme and more on the manipulation techniques and crimes against followers. They monitor the modus operandi used to recruit, control, and indoctrinate, urging caution against creating social alarm over activities that are not necessarily criminal or negative in themselves.
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Even after years of dealing with victims and perpetrators, investigators remain struck by the extent of manipulation, especially regarding minors. Some parents bring their children to the group’s activities thinking they are beneficial growth experiences, only to see the children harmed. The manipulation can drive parents to endorse or tolerate harmful conduct toward their own offspring.
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Children born and raised in a destructive sect face a parallel reality that normalizes harmful conduct
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Some youths are targeted during adolescence. If they join at eighteen, the family’s search for them becomes more arduous. Destruction of family ties and disappearance cases are often linked to sects, complicating long-term investigations.
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The Patricia Aguilar Case
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Patricia Aguilar was drawn into a spiritual teacher’s web via a Facebook forum at sixteen. Nearly two years later she left home in Elche, travelled thousands of kilometres to Peru, and in 2018 was rescued by police in a dangerous jungle area with her baby and four other children who were undernourished and infested with head lice.
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We warn youths about street dangers, but we must explain that risks also hide in bedrooms and on tablets
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If it involves a minor, authorities can activate the investigative and localization mechanisms more readily, since parents can seek to recover the child. But once someone turns eighteen, leaving becomes more complex. Investigations continue, yet it is often the case that the person will report being manipulated and choosing to leave. This pattern emerged in Patricia’s story, where the captor exploited sexual and labor exploitation in the sect’s clandestine operations.
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The chief inspector urges parents to educate themselves about this reality so they can warn their children. An unsupervised phone is a doorway to threats the child may not be prepared for. It is vital to teach youngsters to resist miracle cures and to be wary of promises from sudden, unfamiliar friends offering impossible solutions.
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