A Kenyan court has convicted a cult leader and dozens of followers for their roles in a deadly starvation scheme that resulted in the deaths of nearly 200 children and one adult, marking one of the most devastating cult-related tragedies in recent years. Authorities uncovered the remains of victims buried in shallow graves in a coastal forest after receiving a tip leading to the arrest of the group’s leader in late 2023. Prosecutors allege the sect systematically deprived its members of food, enforcing extreme deprivation as part of its twisted ideology. The case highlights the dangers of extremist groups manipulating vulnerable individuals into committing unspeakable acts.
Paul Mackenzie and his church set up sect that ordered followers to starve themselves and their children, say prosecutorsA Kenyan court has found the starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie and about 30 others guilty of murder over the deaths of 190 children and one adult in one of the world’s worst cult-related disasters in recent history.Mackenzie was arrested in 2023 after police received a tipoff, and weeks later authorities began uncovering bodies in shallow graves in the Shakahola forest near the coast in south-eastern Kenya. Continue reading...
