Inside the Twelve Tribes Religious Group Accused of Exposing Young Children to Severe Corporal Punishment

A controversial religious group whose members live communally has faced allegations of child abuse and harsh corporal punishment for years. A new true crime documentary examines those claims.

The Twelve Tribes, a Christian fundamentalist movement, was founded in the 1970s by a man named Gene Spriggs. The still-active group has several communities around the world, despite Spriggs' death in 2021, according to its website.

But despite its growth over the years, the Twelve Tribes is known to its critics as a dangerous group and is the subject of People Magazine Investigates: The Secrets of the Twelve Tribes Cult, a special presentation set to air on Investigation Discovery (ID) on Monday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET, and streaming on HBO Max.

According to a press release from ID, the Twelve Tribes attracted people "in search of a simpler, more idyllic peaceful life."

"Spriggs and the group promised an escape from the modern pressures of society and a return to living life in accordance with the Old Testament," the press release reads. "However, some discovered quickly that life within Twelve Tribes was not what it was made out to be."

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"After members sacrificed their 'earthly possessions' to join the group, allegedly handing over their life savings, some claimed they were forced into excruciating mandatory labor, that children were allegedly exposed to severe corporal punishment, and that access to modern medical care was terrifyingly prohibited," the release continues.

Several former members are interviewed in The Secrets of the Twelve Tribes Cult and are featured in the trailer below.

One man interviewed for the documentary says in the trailer that he recalls being told to brutally spank children, who were in "intense pain" and "screaming and crying."

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Another woman remembers her life being threatened after saying she wanted to leave the group.

The documentary also features archival footage of the Twelve Tribes, which ID says will expose "the dark, sinister underbelly of" the group.

The controversial group operates The Yellow Deli, a chain of cafes run by members in communal settings, with a few dozen locations worldwide, according to the Twelve Tribes website.

People Magazine Investigates: The Secrets of the Twelve Tribes Cult, a special presentation, will air on ID on Monday, March 16 at 9 p.m. ET and stream on HBO Max.