Judgement of Lord Justice Ward

This document was originally 295 pages long, prepared by the Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Ward, and signed on October 19, 1995.

It is a ground-breaking legal document which details not only a trial for custody of a child born into The Family and resident in the UK, but also how the writings, doctrines, practices, leadership and the group's treatment of children were placed under scrutiny.

Leaving no stone unturned, the Court investigates thousands of pages of never before revealed internal documents, employs the opinions of investigative experts and social workers, and personally interviews many witnesses.

While the Judge finds The Family lacking in frankness and disingenous in its attempts to skirt the responsibility and blame for lives damaged by its doctrines and pracrtices, he also found sufficient evidence through the duration of the proceedings that there had been change and that the child was reasonably safe for the time being. Conditional custody was granted to the mother, a full-time member of the group.

As a condition for winning custody, The Family acknowledged, albeit quietly, wrong-doing on David Berg's part for literature which endorsed adult-child sex. The Family's leaders admitted Berg's responsibility for harm done to children. In his apology to the Judge, Steven Kelly (Peter Amsterdam) stated:

"The judgement refers in particular to 'The Law of Love' and 'The Devil Hates Sex', and we accept that as the author of ideas upon which some members acted to the harm of minors in 'The Family,' he [Berg] must bear responsibility for that harm. Maria, and all of us in World Services leadership, also feel the burden of responsibilty... ...Further, in 1980 Father David's statements in his discourse entitled 'The Devil Hates Sex' opened the door for sexual behaviour between adults and minors, such sanctioning being the direct cause of later abusive behaviour by some 'Family' members at that time."

• Complete Judgement of Lord Justice Ward