A Victorian parliamentary inquiry has released its final report into cults and high control groups.
It follows more than a year of survivor testimony about coercive control, abuse and growing up inside these groups.
The report recommended criminalising group-based coercive control, but deliberately avoided defining what a "cult" actually is.
At the same time the report was released, the committee behind it accidentally leaked hundreds of personal email addresses, including those of cult survivors.
Here's what happened.
Cults
In Australia, there's no standard legal definition for a cult.
Experts instead point to common patterns: extreme influence over a person's daily life, including who they see, where they go, and how they spend their time.
Estimates of the scale of cults in Australia range from a few hundred to more than 3,000.
Importantly, cults aren't always religious.
Any group united by a central belief system can tip into high-control territory, and Australia has seen cases of wellness and lifestyle-based groups operating in this way.
The inquiry
The Victorian inquiry followed years of advocacy from survivors across the state, plus high-profile allegations against a church called the Geelong Revival Centre, including in a podcast investigation by journalist Richard Baker.
It heard from survivors, advocacy groups, universities and international cult experts over several months.
Witnesses described being controlled, isolated, and in some cases abused as children inside these groups.
Report
One of the report's main recommendations is to criminalise group-based coercive control.
Coercive control is a form of domestic violence where a person is denied autonomy and independence over time.
It's already a standalone criminal offence in NSW, Qld, and SA for intimate partners.
Victoria has announced it will legislate its own stand-alone coercive control offence in 2026.
The Victorian Law Reform Commission has two years to review legislative options, with group-based coercive control laws targeted for 2029.
The report also recommended:
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A public awareness campaign on recruitment tactics.
Better support for people leaving high control groups.
A review of home schooling arrangements, which some survivors say were used to isolate them.
The committee deliberately chose not to define the word "cult".
It said the term is too imprecise for legislation, and risks unfairly stigmatising legitimate religious and community groups.
Survivor advocate and co-founder of the Australian Cult Survivors Network Clare Heath-McIvor welcomed this decision, telling TDA "the harm is what must be focused on."
Leak
Last year, TDA reported on this inquiry and signed up to receive alerts.
On Wednesday, we received a notification that the report had been published.
Half an hour later, we received this email:
TDA understands more than 300 emails were included in the accidental leak, including the details of cult survivors who had provided anonymous testimony to the inquiry.
Survivor response
Heath-McIvor told TDA she was "thrilled" with the report's recommendations including introducing group-based coercion as a criminal offence.
"There were a lot of happy tears from survivors who finally felt seen."
Shortly after the report's release, Heath-McIvor was contacted by multiple survivors who were involved in the data breach.
She called it "devastating" and "terrifying".
"I can't imagine a cult leader getting that email and not combing through to see who'd ratted on them."
Other responses
Jasmine Yuen from the Australian Christian Lobby told TDA the group supports protecting people from genuine abuse, but remains opposed to new laws targeting cults.
It argues the state's existing criminal laws are enough to crack down without infringing on "religious freedom".
Regarding the email leak, a representative for the inquiry said: "We are reviewing our processes to help prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future."
The Victorian Government now has six months to respond to the 39 recommendations from the report.
