Sectarian Operation and Violence towards Children: The Case of the Church Baptist of Windsor

Based on a case study, this article presents the evolution of a minority religious group of Quebec, the Baptist church of Windsor, towards a sectarian group whom, isolated from its social environment, resorted to severe child physical abuse. The children of the group were indeed subject to severe physical punishment that was considered child battering by the child protection agency and office of the attorney general. Through an exhaustive analysis of documents, complemented with testimonies of former members and interviews with key participants, the existence of the group is analyzed from origin to dissolution. Four stages in the evolution of the group were identified and its analysis highlights the elements contributing to the development of a sectarian and doctrinal context in which the use of severe physical punishment was generally accepted as legitimate. Adapted from the source document.