{"id":9435,"date":"2021-05-28T14:03:41","date_gmt":"2021-05-28T04:03:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/?post_type=institutions&#038;p=9435"},"modified":"2025-05-07T16:06:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T06:06:55","slug":"kenja-communication","status":"publish","type":"institutions","link":"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/kenja-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Offending Institution: Kenja Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCommunication is the fabric of all relationships,\u201d says Kenja Communication. It\u2019s the first thing you\u2019ll read on their website, stating communication is the key to further understanding, awareness of spiritual essence and an enhanced quality of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Further down the page, however, you\u2019ll find <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kenja.com.au\/national-redress-scheme.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">their response to the National Redress Scheme<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAs an organisation committed to the wellbeing, safety and personal growth of people, including children, we oppose all human degradation, including sexual abuse. We empathise profoundly with all victims of sexual abuse.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKenja rejects any claim that sexual abuse of children has ever taken place at this organisation.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhile acknowledging the vital imperatives behind the National Redress Scheme, we do not consider it appropriate that we join in circumstances where genuine claims against us do not exist.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAccordingly, Kenja will not be cajoled or threatened into joining the Scheme.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kenja Communication refuses to address victims of sexual abuse within the \u201csect\u201d. The group refuses to believe anyone was sexually harassed, groomed or assaulted within the sect. This is all despite the fact that the group\u2019s leader, Kenneth Dyers, faced several allegations of sexual assault and abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He committed suicide after he was accused of abusing a 12-year-old girl.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> multiple claims against Kenja Communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with the <a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/our-work\/national-redress-scheme\/\">National Redress Scheme<\/a>, doomed to go nowhere until the organisation joins the scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kenja.com.au\/national-redress-scheme.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The group claimed the allegations were false<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as there were \u201cdisputes with 2 families who were embroiled in conflict with our organisation, leading to animosity and a desire for revenge. Allegations of sexual abuse that were levelled against Mr Dyers were false, malicious and motivated by hostility and conflict.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because Kenja Communication refuses to acknowledge the allegations, former members will not be eligible for payments through the National Redress Scheme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/jehovahs-witnesses-join-national-redress-scheme\/\">Kenja Communication is the only remaining organisation that refuses to join the National Redress Scheme<\/a>. In this article, we explore its practices and history, as well as the allegations against the group.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is Kenja Communication?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1982, Janice Hamilton and Kenneth Dyers founded Kenja Communication (an amalgamation of their names). It is a spiritual self-help group located in Sydney, although they have locations in Melbourne and Canberra.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kenja Communication claims to help people develop an understanding of man&#8217;s spiritual nature and the human spirit and provide practical training in the basics of communication (i.e., time, space, and energy).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The group explores these concepts through \u201cenergy conversion therapy\u201d, \u201cKenja Klowning\u201d and the development of personal ethics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Energy conversion therapy was developed by Dyers. It is conducted by a mediation consultant who acts as a \u201cspiritual stable point\u201d and helps members become aware of the energy, thought and consideration holding them back from their true potential.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is often conducted one-on-one. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, energy conversion sessions <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/ken-dyers-tributes-and-accusations-20070804-gdqs2o.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">allegedly involved nude one-on-one sessions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, occasionally with women and children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hamilton developed \u201cKenja Klowning\u201d in line with Dyer\u2019s energy conversion therapy. Through the exercise of laughter and humour, members are encouraged to locate and let go of self-destructive behaviours, reverting to a simple childlike viewpoint that radiates a genuine enthusiasm for life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While these practices sound innocent enough, the onslaught of allegations against Dyers tells another story.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cWe&#8217;re playing a clean game, the cleanest game that&#8217;s being played here in Australia &#8211; why do I have to defend myself for that?\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2007, film director Melissa McLean made a documentary about Kenja Communication called <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond our Ken. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The film was an interview with Dyers and Hamilton. According to the ABC, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mamamia.com.au\/kenja-cult\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Melissa was halfway through her first question with Dyers when he became aggressive<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhy don&#8217;t you have that viewpoint as well and do something worthwhile with your thing, instead of asking me to defend myself and defend myself?&#8221; he allegedly said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDefend Kenja, well we&#8217;re playing a clean game, the cleanest game that&#8217;s being played here in Australia and why do I have to defend myself for that? I don&#8217;t and I&#8217;m not going to.&#8221;<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Within seconds, he took to defending Kenja Communication when it was supposed to be a promotional documentary for the organisation. Around this time, he was facing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">22 counts of sexual assault<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> involving both women and children.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u201cI was still under that spell and he\u2019d just taken me right back to where he had me\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In March 2021, 50-year-old survivor Michelle Ring broke her 35-year silence about her experience with Kenja Communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She suffered a mental breakdown following the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse &#8211; an understandable reaction to the onslaught of information presented at the time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The breakdown gave Michelle the courage to come forward and speak out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelle joined Kenja Communication in 1986. She was just 15-years-old when she moved into a townhouse owned by the organisation in Canberra\u2019s Argyle Square.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers promised he would heal her sore back. This progressed to psychic healing, where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">he badgered her to remember a negative sexual experience from her past<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He made her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reenact the experience to help her \u201cclear it\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI would cry as quickly as I could because I was supposed to show emotion, but then it was like, \u2018OK that was one level we needed to clear you on. We have many levels.\u2019 It was abundant,\u201d Michelle said.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, Dyers would involve a younger girl known only as Grace in the sessions. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Other members called Grace Dyer\u2019s \u201cmuse\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe would put Grace and I together and make us do things to each other, which we did so we could get out of there.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelle escaped Kenja Communication when she was 21-years-old. It wasn\u2019t long before Dyers and Hamilton were out looking for her. In 1996, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelle was asked to give evidence for Dyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in court. He was on trial in Sydney for the assault of Michelle\u2019s former roommate and three other girls.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She was given <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">evidence and testimonies to practice<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by Kenja Communication. She was told to tell the court Dyers never processed children without a chaperone and his door was always open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Neither of these statements was true<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michelle said she was still under Dyers\u2019 spell and went on to betray her friend in court.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI remember her looking at me so evilly because she knew I was defending Ken. I was still under that spell and he\u2019d just taken me right back to where he had me.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI let her down. She had to go through a lot to talk to the police, she had to go through a lot to take [Dyers] on, and the very least I could have done was be her friend that day.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was found not guilty on three counts of sexual assault but was found guilty of indecent assault in 1999. This, too, was overturned on appeal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Survivor says Dyers is \u201cnot a hero, he\u2019s a paedophile\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milana Milos, now 41-years-old, joined Kenja Communication with her single mother when she was 11-years-old. From 1989 onwards, Milana was coaxed into a friendship with Grace, Dyers\u2019 alleged muse (note: this is not her real name).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cShe was Ken\u2019s muse. He would parade her on stage as a person who does workshopping with him&#8230; and how those sessions were benefiting everyone else,\u201d Milana said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On one occasion, Milana and Grace were invited to Dyers\u2019 and Hamilton\u2019s home in Bundeena. Milana said they spent the weekend repotting plants and helping in the garden until <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers invited the young girls into his bedroom for a \u201cprocessing session\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grace and Dyers removed their clothes. Milana said <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers told her they weren\u2019t having sex<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but Milana said she could see their body parts going into each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milana and Grace didn\u2019t talk about what happened on the train ride home, but Dyers was quick to ask Milana back for another \u201cprocessing session\u201d and this time, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she was asked to participate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Milana didn\u2019t want to tell her mother about what was happening to her and why she wanted to leave Kenja Communication. Instead, she started acting out at school.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1991, Malina attended the funeral of two close family members who died in a house fire. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers said he would need to complete another \u201cprocessing session\u201d straight after the funeral.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1992, Malina left the organisation to escape Ken\u2019s ongoing abuse. She also left home and didn\u2019t reconcile with her mother for many years, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/he-s-not-a-hero-he-s-a-paedophile-new-claims-against-spiritual-chief-20210317-p57bj2.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nor did she ever tell her mother about the abuse<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAfter all these years they still put him on a pedestal,\u201d Milana said.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s time for Kenja to acknowledge and take responsibility for the lives of the young girls that Ken Dyers ruined when he sexually abused them repeatedly over many years during their time within the organisation.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe\u2019s not a hero, he\u2019s a paedophile.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hamilton claims she has never heard anything about these allegations and believes Kenja Communication has not caused any harm.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Survivor turned her back on her family for Kenja Communication<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the age of 39, Annette Stephens had just come out of a failed marriage when her friend asked her to go with her to a self-development workshop with Kenja Communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cLee was gorgeous, confident and had a great job. She seemed to have everything &#8216;together&#8217; &#8211; unlike me,\u201d Annette said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI went through periods of crying every night and was convinced I was the world&#8217;s worst mother. I hoped the workshop might help me be a better parent to my children, Nina, 16, and Stefan, 14.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annette attended a Kenja Klowning session where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">everyone wore clown suits to symbolise their vulnerable side<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. By releasing their inner clowns, members were supposedly able to find out what was stopping them from being the person they wanted to be.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annette said she thought the concept was beautiful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over the rest of the weekend, various speeches and workshops took place. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The organisation convinced her she was a failure and had a destructive identity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. She was hugged one by one by each of the members and made to feel safe.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She signed up for a 12-month course which would qualify her to work with Kenja Communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI thought it was my ticket out of primary school teaching. I never suspected it would cause me any harm. Dangerous groups, such as bikie gangs, are identifiable in some way, and I never questioned Kenja&#8217;s psychological techniques,\u201d Annette said.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The monthly seminars involved energy conversion sessions where Annette would sit opposite another member and stare into their eyes for over an hour. The goal was to relive painful experiences so members could leave them behind and live a richer, fuller life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Annette was processed, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she said her mind would go blank and she would wake up crying or gasping for air<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Dyers told her it was because of the dishonesty and lies around her, which she believed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annette ended up quitting her job as a teacher and travelling between Sydney and Melbourne to work for Kenja Communication. As a single mother, it was a huge financial commitment &#8211; but she was also committed to the organisation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eventually, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annette sold her house and her car so she could move to Sydney<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Her son Stefan went to live with his father and her daughter Nina moved between friends&#8217; houses.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI blocked out any guilt by telling myself I was doing this to benefit them,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI wanted Nina and Stefan to join Kenja, but they refused. They were enormously hurt by the fact I&#8217;d left, but had the sense to stay away. They knew Kenja had caused them so much pain.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the next eight years, Annette travelled between Sydney and Melbourne. Kenja Communication promised it would make her a happier person. She wanted to believe that, so she followed them loyally.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On multiple occasions, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">energy conversion therapy or \u201cprocessing sessions\u201d were completed naked<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cKen said it helped energy flow freely through the body. Once, when I woke from the fog of a naked processing session, Ken was lying on top of me with his trousers and underpants around his ankles,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut my Kenjan mind-training kicked in and I immediately dismissed the idea he&#8217;d acted inappropriately, reasoning I could trust Ken and, if he&#8217;d touched me, I&#8217;d remember it.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1992, Annette read an article calling Kenja Communication a cult and she realised she hadn\u2019t achieved anything from her 10 years with the organisation. She was becoming sceptical and continued her reading.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She read articles and books about being put into a trance and finally, everything clicked for Annette. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She realised the processing sessions were a form of hypnosis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soon, she told Kenja Communication she was leaving. She asked them not to contact her and she moved in with her mother in Melbourne, where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/lifestyle\/relationships\/i-left-my-kids-for-kenja-group\/news-story\/dd0f478cad388badb653a9c7568812d1?sv=4e271159ede1abe144ed22876d68c60a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she suffered from hallucinations, heart palpitations and migraines<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She was broke and had no relationship with her children. Within a few years, however, she was able to mend things and even remarried in 1996.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dyers\u2019 charges and death<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1993, Dyers was charged with 11 counts of sexual offences against four girls aged between eight and 15 years, three of whom were sisters. The trial lasted almost a decade before he was found not guilty of 10 of the 11 charges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was charged separately for the 11th charge and spent six days at Long Bay Correctional Centre before being released on bail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers appealed the conviction in 2000 but failed. However, in 2002, the charge was overturned in the High Court of Australia as the trial judge may have misdirected the jury. A retrial was not requested as Dyers had \u201calready served his sentence\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2005, Dyers was hauled back into court for the sexual assault of two 12-year-old girls in Surry Hills, Sydney. Dyers insisted he was not guilty and said former members were trying to destroy him as part of a witch hunt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers\u2019 lawyer said<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/cult-boss-impotent-says-lawyer-20051029-gdmcbh.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the girls \u201cknow how to say no, they get educated in school\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and \u201cthere will be contrary medical evidence indicating that Mr Dyers has had erectile dysfunction for almost 15 years\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He was released on bail with the condition he not attend any Kenja Communication events and report to Sutherland Police Station every week. He applied for a permanent stay because of his mental health, but he was only granted a temporary stay of one year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On the 25th of July 2005, Dyers received a phone call from his lawyer saying another young girl had come forward with allegations of abuse. Rather than facing another charge, Dyers shot himself in the head the following day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kenja Communication refuses to join the National Redress Scheme<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In July 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison <a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/jehovahs-witness-fail-to-meet-nrs-deadline\/\">called out the organisations who had failed to meet the June 30th deadline<\/a> to join the National Redress Scheme. Among them: the <a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/institutions\/jehovahs-witnesses\/\">Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses<\/a>, Fairbridge Restored Limited and Kenja Communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston created a new deadline: December 31st 2020. If the organisations refused to join before this date, they would lose their charitable status, lose Commonwealth grants and lose their tax exemptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While the Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses have since joined and Fairbridge Restored Limited has gone into liquidation, Kenja Communication still stands against the National Redress Scheme.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/church-charity-and-cult-refuse-to-join-national-child-sex-abuse-redress-20210104-p56rmi.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">77 claims against the organisation which are currently on hold<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After standing by her partner for 15 years in court, Hamilton still maintains no sexual abuse occurred within Kenja Communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/absolutely-astonishing-spiritual-group-raises-the-porter-defence-20210315-p57avh.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hamilton has invoked the Christian Porter Defence<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Attorney-General Christian Porter denies the historical rape allegations against him. Refusing to hold an inquiry into the allegations, Porter said:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are circumstances where someone might absolutely believe something, but it might not be a reliable account. That is actually why we have a justice system. It is why we have courts and the presumption of innocence and burdens of proof.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/national\/absolutely-astonishing-spiritual-group-raises-the-porter-defence-20210315-p57avh.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hamilton says the same principle applies to Kenja Communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAnyone can contact the scheme and say they were abused as a child and without due process, in fact, it appears without any real process, can receive up to $150,000 in compensation,\u201d Hamilton said in their online statement.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are of the view that recent events including the Christian Porter case confirm the legitimacy and appropriateness of the position we have taken regarding not joining the National Redress Scheme. In our respectful opinion, if it is proper for the Attorney-General to invoke the rule of law, it is also proper for us.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Senator Ruston says their argument is \u201castonishing\u201d and does not excuse their position with 77 claims against them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stories about Kenja Communication are both bizarre and abhorrent. Many former members have come forward with similar stories about sexual \u201cprocessing sessions\u201d and unacceptable behaviour.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dyers and Hamilton have allegedly used and abused their power to control their members. Hamilton will not bow to the pressure of Senator Ruston or the Royal Commission, leaving many survivors in limbo.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Kelso Lawyers, we stand for survivors of institutional abuse. We can approach organisations like Kenja Communications who refuse to join the National Redress Scheme and seek compensation through the civil courts. We will ensure you receive the recognition and compensation you deserve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Get the justice you deserve with Kelso Lawyers. We want to hear your story. Call (02) 4907 4200 or <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/contact-us\/\"><b>complete the online form<\/b><\/a><b> before you accept payment from the <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/kelsolawyers.com\/au\/our-work\/national-redress-scheme\/\"><b>National Redress Scheme.<\/b><\/a><\/h2>\n<p><em>Feature Image: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pexels.com\/photo\/photo-of-holding-hands-1773113\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Pexels<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13317,"parent":0,"template":"","categories":[251],"tags":[22,377,410],"class_list":["post-9435","institutions","type-institutions","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-institutional-abuse","tag-nsw","tag-sydney","tag-sydney-institutions"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Offending Institution: Kenja Communication | Kelso Lawyers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The stories about Kenja Communication are bizarre and abhorrent. 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