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ABC News
ABC News
National
As told to Conversations with Sarah Kanowski

Serafina Tane grew up in the Camp David religious cult. This is what it felt like to leave

Serafina Tane was born into a religious cult on New Zealand's South Island. The leader was the charismatic but abusive Douglas Metcalf, who claimed to be the reincarnation of Jesus. For Serafina, the cult was her family. But leaving Camp David for a life without religious rules was more complicated than she had imagined.

When I've been back, I'm like, "Wow, it's like something out of a movie."

A lot of people would think that it was like living in a castle. There were watchtowers painted white and padlocks on the gates. It's home, from the inside, but on the outside it's very walled, gated. You can't get in unless you have the combination, or somebody lets you in.

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