'Emotional' reunion at Moonie house

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 6

'Emotional' reunion at Moonie house

PA Wellington Mary-Lee Hall, who is allegedly held against her will by members of the Unification Church (“Moonies") in the United States, was reunited briefly with her mother and sister yesterday after they forced their way into a Manhattan house owned by the church. But her family said they would not end their attempts to bring her back to New Zealand until they were allowed a private meeting. Miss Hall’s sister, AnnaLyn- Hall, a journalist, spoke of "a very emotional’’ but “frustrating” meeting after she and her mother had called al the church house. After knocking at the door and being told that Mary-Lee was there, Mrs Hall had

rushed in because she “could not stand it any longer,” said Miss Anna-Lyn Hall. But at no time during the brief meeting, the first since the Halls arrived in the United States some weeks ago, was the family left alone to talk, she said. Members of the church had stayed with the family, who were “threatened arid intimidated." Also, three church members had waited outside the house in Manhattan. and another had patrolled the street in a car. Members of the church stayed with the New Zealanders, talking at them and calling Miss Mary-Lee Hall away to tell her the family was trying to kidnap her. “At no stage was it a private meeting ... there

was no way they were going to allow a private meeting,’’ said Miss Anna-Lyn Hall. < When asked if she thought her sister was being held against her will, she said, “Yes . . . they are controlling her mind and manipulating it. She is in a state of mind where she has been fed so many lies that she is under mind control.’’ Her sister was not the only New Zealander in the Unification Church. An immigration official had told her there were about 40 cases where New Zealanders had overstayed their visas after joining the church.' They were among 20 to 40 foreigners a week found to be still in the United States with the church after their visas had expired.