August 6
Saint-Denis De La Reunion — Sixteen members of a religious cult — including a leading fugitive — were in custody on an Indian Ocean island Monday after French commandos stormed their compound and rescued a boy they allegedly kidnapped.

Among those arrested was the believed head of the group, a 25-year-old who was convicted in absentia of raping two boys but had evaded police on the French island of La Reunion for three years.

Police say the cult considered 12-year-old Alexandre Thelahine a "new messiah" and abductors seized him from his parents' residence in Saint-Denis de la Reunion on Friday. They escaped by car before abandoning it and switching to another vehicle.

The child was kept in a house rented by the cult, called Mary's Painful and Immaculate Heart, in the southern part of La Reunion, a popular vacation destination for tourists from the French mainland.

On Sunday, agents from the elite GIGN police force stormed the compound near the Piton-de-la-Fournaise volcano. Four hours later, police said they had rescued the boy and arrested the cult members "without incident".

All the members of the sect protected him all the time, traveling only by night and using three vehicles to be sure nobody would follow them.

"He is doing fine," his mother said. She added that he had not been abused physically or sexually, but understood "those people wanted to harm him."
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"Of course you're the messiah, I should know I've followed a few!"
Man those crazy cults, when will they ever learn.

I'm glad the boy is okay. What a bunch of crazy people. >.<

I am so glad they were able to rescue the boy before anything worse happened to him! I just have to wonder , how many crazy people are out there holding children and anyone for that matter that we are not aware of?

There are a lot of cults around that seldom come into the public spotlight.It is now in the 5th year since I have heard of my brother who joined one of these ratbag Cults. He was very wealthy but I'll bet he isn't now. Haven't got a clue where they are hiding,but believe it is in a tropical rainforest somewhere in Northern Australia.These Cults are evil in my opinion and should be hunted down.The followers all get brainwashed by a Rat Cunning Leader.One here got caught a couple of years ago and had a harem of young girls living with him as young as 12 yrs of age. They are sick Puppies.

I am so very sorry to hear that your brother has been taken from you DSTM ! And your right they are evil, sick creeps!