Victor Program

Victor Program — a condition under which a second generation member of The Family International would have been placed during the late 80s and early 90s.

As second generation members reached puberty, in the mid-1980s, some of them rebelled against the strict living conditions under which they were forced to live. When discipline failed to produce satisfactory results, some of the more difficult cases were separated from the rest of the children and teens and assigned hard labour and other disciplinary actions.

Initially, these extreme measures were reserved for the worst cases. An early group of these children and teens were called Detention Teens (or DTs) and were sent to a special center in Macau. Among these DTs was Merry Berg, granddaughter of David Berg.

Eventually, as more "problem cases" occurred, the status became structured and more defined. It was around this time (late 1980s) that these DTs became known as "Victors" and were sent to Victor Programs.

Later on, just about anyone with a "bad attitude" could end up in one of these programs.

Disciplinary actions

• Hard labour (long work days, up to seven days a week)
• Silence restriction
• Corporal punishment (including public beatings on bare backs and buttocks)
• Strict diet
• Seclusion from other children or teens
• Denial of any and all entertainment (including movies, music, dancing, socialising, etc.)
• Constant supervision
• Locked in rooms at night (sometimes even tied to the bed)

Locations

• Macau
• Japan
• Peru
• Hungary

Case studies

• Merry Berg