A brief description of Uskontojen uhrien tuki UUT ry (Support group for the victims of religions)

Flag of FinlandUskontojen uhrien tuki UUT ry (Support group for the victims of religions)

  • independent association giving help and support to those who feel that they have been abused, mistreated or deceived by an authoritarian religious community or "cult"
  • started 1987, registered 1993
  • association also provides the public with information about different religious groups

We wish that

  • religious communities in Finland would openly talk about the commitments they require from their members. Candidates should be informed of all the rules and restrictions enforced by the community before a decision to join is made. Once a person has joined the community, s/he should not be pressured to do anything, which is against his/her will.
  • religious communities would obey the law and respect human rights acts declared by the United Nations. They should not restrict individual's legal freedom and contacts to the "outside world": i.e. relatives and friends, etc. Members should not be pressured into giving up their possessions, work or hobbies. They should also have the right to leave the community without threats or fears of retaliation.

Our web site gives information about religious abuse issues for Finnish speaking readers. As there seems to be quite an amount of information about cults on the Web in English, we are not planning to translate our articles into English.