The recent beating of Lucas Leonard and his brother, teenage members of Word of Life Christian Church, has unveiled a lot about the religious traditions of said church, which are acts consistent with what academics call "religious abuse" and cult-like practices, Newsweek reported.
The church is located in the village of Chadwicks within the town of New Hartford, N.Y., and neighbors have already been wondering for the longest time about what happens within the bricked walls of the church.
After allegedly expressing interest in leaving the church, Leonard, 19, and his younger brother, Christopher, 17, were brutally beaten in one of the church's "counseling session," called for by Pastor Tiffany Irwin. They took hits in their abdomen, genitals, backs and thighs while being asked to confess their sins and ask for forgiveness, according to the New York Daily News.
The elder teenager died because of the incident, while his kid brother is currently in bad shape but recuperating in an undisclosed hospital.
There were six church members involved in the beating, included Bruce and Deborah Leonard, 65 and 59, respectively, the parents of the siblings, according to USA Today.
A judge in Central New York has ruled that prosecutors have enough evidence to proceed against the two parents and its four other accomplices. They have all been charged with manslaughter, with bail set at $100,000.
