A former Gloriavale dairy farmer believes he "possibly" beat schoolboys who worked for him following the Employment Court landmark decision.
Yesterday, the court ruled that a group of ex-Gloriavale members were employees at the secretive Christian community - from when they were just 6 years old.
Leavers Hosea Courage, Daniel Pilgrim and Levi Courage took the Christian community to court in a bid to determine their employment status while they lived there and ascertain whether they were wrongly exploited as workers.
![Hosea Courage and Daniel Pilgrim are two of the ex-Gloriavale members who won an Employment Court case against the secretive Christian community. Photo / George Heard](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/SXHFGYUZ7HJWBHOE5UYWL2C3FI.jpg?auth=1d05152c95eff6a97eba8d82396318baaa8617c12cb985f416cdd92b805ed927&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
The court would hear from leavers about psychological and physical abuse including beatings with "shovel handles, pick handles and hard solid wood".