French Canadian polygamist cult run by Roch Thériault

[Cleopatra7]

I've studied a lot of cults and thought I'd heard it all, but I think Roch Thériault's cult may be the worst I've heard:

TRIGGER WARNING!!!

http://politicsrusprinciple.tumblr.com/tagged/Roch-Th%C3%A9riault  (scroll down for the long post with the main story)

I'm not going to do a summary, because I don't even know where to begin or how to explain it. All I can say is that Thériault sounds like a cross between David Koresh, Warren Jeffs, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Given that, I want to warn you that this story is extremely graphic and contains descriptions of abuse that are almost beyond comprehension. But this story shows why we can't turn a blind eye to sects like these that basically function as personal fiefdoms for psychopaths.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

This is the warning you'll find in the link. "TRIGGER WARNING: The following is extremely violent. It features sexual, other physical and all other types of abuse imaginable. I cannot stress this enough.  ONE LAST TIME: I cannot emphasize enough how horrible this will get."

It doesn't even give an idea of how bad that is. What this man did is unspeakably evil. He was deranged beyond words. Really,  if you think JRod and Lori are monsters don't read here. He can't be compared even with Warren Jeffs, he is way worse.

I found this narration clearer http://murderpedia.org/male.T/t/theriault-roch.htm

[samurai_sarah]

I was ready to chuck up my breakfast, after reading this. Now, I just want to curl up beneath my desk and whimper.

I do not condone the death penalty, but I cannot say I am unhappy that this horrendous monster got murdered! He makes Warren Jeffs look almost benign.

If you cannot stomach reading about child sexual abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, torture and horrific murder, I strongly advise you against reading about this psychopath!

[ophelia]

1 hour ago, laPapessaGiovanna said:

This is the warning you'll find in the link. "TRIGGER WARNING: The following is extremely violent. It features sexual, other physical and all other types of abuse imaginable. I cannot stress this enough.  ONE LAST TIME: I cannot emphasize enough how horrible this will get."

It doesn't even give an idea of how bad that is. What this man did is unspeakably evil. He was deranged beyond words. Really,  if you think JRod and Lori are monsters don't read here. He can't be compared even with Warren Jeffs, he is way worse.

I found this narration clearer http://murderpedia.org/male.T/t/theriault-roch.htm

I made it to the 4th sentence. And now I'm sick.

[withaj]

I can't think of a phrase that conveys enough astonishment and horror for this purpose.

This guy makes Warren Jeffs look like a doting uncle.

[EmainMacha]

I read the murderpedia entry and not going any further. I feel a bit sick already. Not sure how I've never heard of this guy. He sounds like the worst of the worst.

[violynn]

HOW do people get to the state of mind that this is okay??  A woman had her breast and arm amputated by this monster and wasn't able to run from him until after he torched her genitals too.  Another woman is so brutalised by him that she agrees to leave her 10 yr daughter behind as his child bride to get herself away.  She then sent CPS to rescue her daughter, but try to imagine how terrorized you have to be to agree to leave your child as hostage so you can get away to get help.  This guy is one of the reasons I cling to the hope there is an afterlife with retribution for crimes while living.  Being murdered in prison just isn't enough punishment.

[laPapessaGiovanna]

Honestly after reading the first source linked by @Cleopatra7 I thought it must be fabricated. But it's too bad even for that, only his deranged mind could even imagine to commit certain acts. I read a lot about torture in wartime, about unspeakably evil crimes committed around the world under dictatorships or during the Middle Ages, but I rarely came across something as bad.

6 minutes ago, violynn said:

HOW do people get to the state of mind that this is okay??  A woman had her breast and arm amputated by this monster and wasn't able to run from him until after he torched her genitals too.  Another woman is so brutalised by him that she agrees to leave her 10 yr daughter behind as his child bride to get herself away.  She then sent CPS to rescue her daughter, but try to imagine how terrorized you have to be to agree to leave your child as hostage so you can get away to get help.  This guy is one of the reasons I cling to the hope there is an afterlife with retribution for crimes while living.  Being murdered in prison just isn't enough punishment.

I think this is the reason for it is important to talk about this story. It shows how far the power of suggestion, the dominance over submitted people can go. How hurtful the internal dynamics of a cult can become, how deranged people can become before being stopped.

[violynn]

Absolutely!  I've read that cults are on watch lists by the FBI (can't remember where I saw this), so how do things go so far before authorities step in?

[LaParisienne]

Thanks for the link! This is why I love Freejinger, I always learn something!

And it's when you think you see the worst in human that you learn about an another monster ...

[AnywhereButHere]

That was immeasurably disturbing.  Leaving aside the acts of abuse committed by this man (and his followers at his demand), what I can't wrap my head around is outside people repeatedly letting him go and allowing this to continue! Mental health professionals stating he was fine and letting him back into the world. It seems CAS removed the children at least once, only to return them. It's disturbing how many incidents and reports had to be seen/made before he was stopped. I can understand how a charismatic and forceful leader can warp his followers until they have nothing but him, but for "normal" people from outside, with a clear perspective, how do they not look at even the least of his infractions and not say enough!

And spoiler - just because I can't believe I am even typing this.

Spoiler

I felt so much sadness and anger on behalf of the children born into and forced to live in that shithole of a life, that I was almost relieved when the one woman miscarried. One child who would not have to endure the abuse.

This is one of the worst horror stories I've ever read - and it's real.

[hollyandivy]

19 minutes ago, AnywhereButHere said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

I felt so much sadness and anger on behalf of the children born into and forced to live in that shithole of a life, that I was almost relieved when the one woman miscarried. One child who would not have to endure the abuse.

This is one of the worst horror stories I've ever read - and it's real.

This! Otherwise I am completely speechless, appalled, and I really feel sick now!

[pook]

I could not read all of it, sorry, just sick!  Thank you for bringing this to our attention @Cleopatra7 awareness and never forgetting is key to overcoming this disease that is fundamental "religion".  I am baffled but then again not surprised to think that this happened in my own backyard(s).  I was born in Quebec and was steeped in French Canadian culture.  In fact my Anglophone parents sent me to an all French school and they could barely utter a word of French (with thanks though b/c I am bilingual).  You should see the massive architectural churches in even very small towns (Catholic mostly and breathtaking) and in saying this devout religion is huge in Quebec.  We later moved to Ontario and continue to vacation in Muskoka to this day, including lake Rosseau in recent years with my own tribe.  What I want to say is that I feel a bit ignorant for attributing Christian fundamentalism to being a Southern bible belt phenomen.  I came to FJ for my own reasons around fundamentalism and wow this is eye opening.  I thank you.

[Luisainlondon1]

I was reading the murderpedia entry as well. I don't know if I ever read anything like that. It's worse than a horror movie.

After reading it, I watched a documentary about him in which one of his victims, the one who's arm was amputated, tries to explain what made her stay with him all those years. 

[sawasdee]

This story has made me understand that Stockholm syndrome is much more powerful than I thought - that  it can make a mother accept the brutalisation of her children, and a father that of his wife and children.

I am beyond horrified, not least by the failure of Social Services to realise the abuses going on in this community.

I hope the training of Child Protection and general social workers has been informed by this case.

[Cleopatra7]

48 minutes ago, sawasdee said:

This story has made me understand that Stockholm syndrome is much more powerful than I thought - that  it can make a mother accept the brutalisation of her children, and a father that of his wife and children.

I am beyond horrified, not least by the failure of Social Services to realise the abuses going on in this community.

I hope the training of Child Protection and general social workers has been informed by this case.

I wonder if Jonestown and Waco are such that law enforcement in general doesn't want to poke these communities too hard, lest they self-immolate. The bad publicity after the Short Creek raid in the 1950s explains why Mormon fundamentalists get such a wide berth, but now I think there's a fear that these sects may kill the membership rather than be exposed to the outside world. This is also what happened in the Marcus Wesson cult, when two of the women tried to leave the cult with their children and Wesson ordered the all of the young children killed rather than have them leave his twisted control.

[Grimalkin]

I fell down this rabbit hole yesterday. I found it linked to another story from the FLDS thread. It's awful.

[Eclipse]

The first time I heard about this cult was when I watched a movie about it when I was a teenager. It creeped me out.  I did a quick search and the only movie I found is Savage Messiah. I am not sure if it is the same movie.  I am not disturbed easily by films, but the one I watched was very disturbing.  

[Khan]

I'm unable to express feelings in words after reading that.  That man was one disgustingly evil creature.  Stockholm Syndrome. Fear. Need for authority figures. Those poor people and what they suffered.  Who knows how many babies were murdered or pregnancies ended in deliberate, violent miscarriage. I wonder how people like him view the world.  Did he believe himself to be the only real person with everyone else an animal of some sort? (I would never condone mistreatment of animals, either )  I can't believe I'm trying to rationalize madness. I need to hug my dog.