The Problem with Progress

For the past several months, many people have been asking why Samson Rising has become quieter.

The answer is simple. We’ve been busy.

Since our last update, Samson Rising has reached several significant milestones. Ironically, the more progress we’ve made, the less we’ve been able to say publicly. Many of the initiatives we’ve been working on are now connected with active legal matters, regulatory investigations and other confidential processes. Speaking publicly at the wrong time could undermine the very outcomes we’ve all been working towards.

That’s why I’ve titled this article “The Problem with Progress.”

Although I can’t reveal names or discuss every detail, I can tell you where we’ve reached.

Everything you’ll read below has been made possible because so many former members were willing to come forward and share their experiences. Every statement, every survey response and every conversation has contributed tthe progress we’re now seeing. So thank you!

For the first time since Samson Rising began, we genuinely believe that many of the avenues for accountability and redress we’ve been pursuing are beginning to gather real momentum. I hope this update reassures everyone who has trusted us with their experiences that your courage has not been wasted. Your evidence is making a difference.

Throughout this article I’ll also explain why, in each instance, we’re unable to say more at this stage.

⚖ Claims for Financial Compensation

One of Samson Rising’s principal objectives has always been to help victims of alleged abuse obtain financial compensation where the law permits. After many months of working closely with solicitors to present your evidence, we are delighted to announce that the first of 21 alleged childhood abuse claims has been accepted by one of Australia’s largest law firms.

The firm operates nationally and is recognised as a leader in institutional abuse litigation, and we could not be more pleased to have secured its involvement. Significantly, the firm is acting on a no win, no fee basis. For those unfamiliar with litigation, this means the firm is prepared to invest its own time and resources because it considers the claim has sufficient merit to justify doing so.

Importantly, this case is not simply about one individual. From the outset, our objective has been to establish a legal pathway capable of assisting many victims.Of the 58 statements ex CFO members gave us, 21 involve alleged childhood abuse and share similar factual information. Twelve of those individuals have already indicated that they wish to pursue legal action against the CFO should a viable pathway be established.

The individuals involved come from a diverse range of CFO branches. This is consistent with the broader themes emerging from all 58 statements, suggesting that the alleged behaviour was not confined to a small number of individuals or a single branch, but reflected patterns described across the CFO.

To date, we have formally presented two of those twelve matters to the law firm for assessment. One has now been accepted, and we will present the remaining ten in the coming months. The prospect of numerous future claims is now very real. Before further matters are referred however, Samson Rising and the law firm need time to develop the infrastructure required to triage complaints and prepare them for efficient assessment.

For that reason, I am not at liberty to divulge the name of the law firm involved, but I look forward to doing so in due course. If you feel like you have a case to submit please contact us.

Over the coming days, I’ll publish a separate article explaining why this first case has implications extending well beyond one individual and identifying the category of people who may now have an opportunity to pursue similar claims I hope that announcement will encourage others who may have assumed they had no legal options, to take another look at their circumstances.

📺 National Media

Two weeks ago we received a call from one of Australia’s best-known media organisations inviting Samson Rising to participate in a nationally broadcast exposé expected to air later this year. Soon after Samson Rising was established, we received advice to wait for precisely this type of opportunity. Although we’ve been approached by other media organisations over the past two years, we deliberately chose to hold our story until it could receive the greatest possible exposure and impact.

The media organisation contacted Samson Rising because of the recommendations contained in our submission to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Recruitment Methods and Impacts of Cults and Organised Fringe Groups. Our 95-page submission contained twenty recommendations inspired directly by the complaints and experiences shared by the ex-CFO community.

This represents a major milestone for Samson Rising, which we hope will be the first of many opportunities to work with the media to draw national attention to the issues raised by the ex-CFO community. For obvious reasons, we’re unable to provide further details at this stage, as doing so could compromise both the integrity and impact of the broadcast.

🏛 Criminalisation of Coercive Control

One of Samson Rising’s recommendations to the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry in July 2025 was that Victoria should introduce legislation criminalising coercive control, bringing it into line with the growing number of Australian jurisdictions that have already introduced similar laws.

Many of you will already know that, in November 2025, the Victorian Premier announced that legislation would indeed be introduced to criminalise coercive control. While we make no claim that this decision resulted directly from our submission, we certainly welcome the announcement.

The Parliamentary Inquiry is expected to hand down its remaining recommendations on 30 September 2026, and we look forward to the opportunity to continue engaging with the Victorian Parliament regarding our other recommendations.

❤ Collaboration with Specialist Care Provider

Last month I attended a meeting with an organisation specialising in support services for victims of cult abuse, including counselling and referral services. This type of specialised support has often been missing from mainstream services because relatively few practitioners have first-hand knowledge of cultic behaviour and recovery. Samson Rising is very positively inclined towards developing a close collaborative relationship with this organisation over the coming months. As those discussions remain in their early stages, I’m not yet able to publicly identify the organisation while we continue developing our working relationship.

Both organisations will retain their independent identities and roles. Samson Rising’s focus will remain the identification of existing and emerging legal pathways that provide opportunities for victims of alleged cult abuse to seek justice and redress. Our hope is that this collaboration will complement that work by providing direct care, counselling and support services to those who need them.

I am genuinely pleased to be working alongside such capable, qualified and experienced people, each of whom have walked the difficult road of recovery from cult involvement themselves. Together, we also hope to engage with governments at all levels to improve the care, support and legal protections available to people affected by cult abuse.

🛡 Reportable Conduct Scheme

Last month I received confirmation that the Reportable Conduct Scheme is investigating every complaint lodged with the Scheme last year. That’s a significant milestone. For everyone who contributed evidence to those complaints, I hope this is encouraging news.

Although I’m not free to identify the CFO branches or individuals involved, it’s important for the community to know that these investigations are now underway.Notably, from what we understand the process is ongoing and may result in the CFO being required to bear the cost of those investigations. If wrongdoing is ultimately substantiated, mandatory referrals to other investigative agencies may follow, including child protection authorities and police.

My understanding is that, where appropriate, long-term monitoring of the relevant CFO branches may also occur. The Reportable Conduct Scheme also commenced operation in Queensland this month, creating an important new avenue for people wishing to report alleged child abuse within Queensland organisations.

I’ll be making a separate announcement explaining who can participate and how Samson Rising intends to assist people in preparing and lodging complaints in Queensland. In brief, the Scheme applies to allegations involving workers (including employees, volunteers and certain office holders) where children are involved.

Reportable conduct includes:

• Child sexual offences.

• Sexual misconduct involving, or in the presence of, a child.

• Physical violence against a child.

• Ill-treatment of a child.

• Significant neglect of a child.

• Behaviour causing significant emotional or psychological harm to a child.

One of the Scheme’s greatest strengths is that it captures conduct which may not meet the criminal threshold, but nevertheless demonstrates that an individual poses an unacceptable risk to children. In other words, behaviour does not need to amount to a criminal offence before the Scheme can investigate it.

For many survivors, this represents the first opportunity to have their experiences independently examined, even where the conduct may never have resulted in criminal charges.

Update on Family Law Application

We’ve previously mentioned that a grandparent is currently pursuing Family Court proceedings seeking access to grandchildren from whom they have been separated by their CFO parents. That matter continues to progress through the Court, with a hearing currently expected during the final quarter of this calendar year.

Naturally, we cannot identify the participants because the proceedings involve children whose identities are protected by law.We are, however, permitted to say that, in addition to seeking a normal loving relationship with their grandchildren, the grandparent also hopes to establish a future lifeline should the parents ever act upon the well-known CFO practice of expelling young adults from the family home if they refuse to attend or comply with CFO directives.

This Family Court case stands to directly test the impact of CFO teachings on a child’s relationship with their grandparents. The outcome of this case may also provide guidance for other grandparents facing similar circumstances. Samson Rising will continue to monitor the matter closely and share appropriate updates as the proceedings progress. While we may not be able to post as often as we did before, please keep an eye out for our updates.

Thanks to everyone who has shared their experiences with Samson Rising.

Without your willingness to come forward, none of the progress outlined above would have been possible. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to pursue meaningful change.

Join our Facebook Community

Stay connected with the latest news, advocacy updates, survivor stories, events and opportunities to get involved.

Follow Samson Rising on Facebook and be part of a growing community committed to supporting survivors and creating lasting change. 👉 Follow Samson Rising on Facebook: facebook.com/samsonisrising

On behalf of the Samson Rising Team.

Samson