Victoria moves to criminalise coercive cults after inquiry report

A Victorian parliamentary inquiry into cults and organised fringe groups has concluded that existing laws fail to protect survivors. The report, Crossing the Line: Coercion and Harm in High‑Control Groups, was based on over 600 submissions and highlighted systematic recruitment tactics, psychological pressure, financial control and isolation employed by groups such as the Geelong Revival Centre.

Labor MP and inquiry chair Ella George urged the state government to introduce new legislation by February 2029 that would create a criminal threshold for group‑based coercion, focusing on behaviour rather than belief. The proposed reforms include empowering the Victorian Law Reform Commission to review options for criminalising total or pervasive control, revising child‑safety statutes, homeschooling arrangements and federal charity law for religious organisations.