Shivangi Sinha
Paramount+’s ‘Devotion: Obedience or Betrayal’ offers a glimpse into life within the Gloriavale Community in New Zealand. While many current members continue to defend the community’s beliefs and lifestyle, former members and critics have raised allegations relating to abuse and broader concerns about the group’s culture and leadership. Among the figures discussed in the docuseries is Jonathan Benjamin, a former leader who was convicted on charges of sexual abuse. The series also features accounts from his children, who reflect on what it was like to grow up under his authority and within the Gloriavale community.
Jonathan Benjamin Witnessed Many of His Kids Leaving the Gloriavale Community
Jonathan Benjamin was a long-time member of the Gloriavale community and raised many of his children within its structure and beliefs. He publicly supported and promoted many of the community’s teachings, including the idea that women should submit to male authority, that men should occupy leadership positions, and that members should contribute to the labor that sustained the community’s various businesses. However, his time within Gloriavale was far from without controversy. As she grew older, his daughter, Julia Benjamin, chose to leave the community. Some time later, she returned to confront her father and other senior leaders about her upbringing and allegations relating to mistreatment and control within the group.
The confrontation attracted significant media attention. During one widely publicized encounter, Jonathan was seen meeting Julia, asking her to leave, and stating that he had severed all ties with her. Another incident involved one of Jonathan’s sons, Boaz Benjamin, who spoke to the media about some of the conditions he claimed to have experienced while living within the community. Boaz said that he had allegedly been subjected to abuse and mistreatment. Although his face was blurred and his voice altered during the broadcast, his identity was eventually discovered.
Within a few weeks of the program airing, he was also removed from the community. The controversy brought a lot of scrutiny upon Jonathan’s family from within the group. Not long afterward, another of his sons, Gideon Benjamin, chose to leave the community of his own accord. Despite the growing attention surrounding his family and the departures of several of his children, Jonathan continued to hold positions of authority within Gloriavale for many years and remained an influential figure in its leadership structure.
Jonathan Benjamin is Serving His Sentence in a New Zealand Prison Today
In 2021, Jonathan Benjamin was arrested as part of a broader investigation into allegations of physical and sexual abuse within the Gloriavale community. He was accused of committing sexual offenses against children and young girls over a period spanning from 1986 to 2017. By the time his trial began in 2023, he had already entered guilty pleas to 15 charges of a similar nature. During the proceedings, Jonathan faced a total of 20 charges, including four counts of rape. In 2022, he was also named as one of the defendants in the Employment Court cases filed by former members.
In December 2023, he was convicted on 11 charges involving four victims, one of whom was Virginia Courage. According to official reports, one of his victims was four or five years old at the time of the commission of the crime. In March 2024, Jonathan was sentenced to 11 years and 10 months in prison for a total of 26 sexual offense charges. Several victims addressed him directly in court and spoke about the impact his actions had on their lives. He remains incarcerated in a New Zealand prison. Following his conviction, the Gloriavale community severed its ties with him, and he is no longer considered a member of the group.
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