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Former directors of an evangelical Christian charity have admitted to falsely claiming their residential counselling program offered professional support from GPs and other health professionals.
A ruling from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has declared this claim to be a misrepresentation, saying the now-disbanded Mercy Ministries only allowed access to health professionals at the direct request from residents who were being treated for eating disorders, self harm, and the effects of drug, alcohol, physical and sexual abuse.
The 18-month ACCC investigation originated from complaints from former residents that exorcism and prayer were used to treat serious health problems.
Through a range of advertising the organisation also claimed to offer its services for free, however the ACCC found most residents were required to sign over their Centrelink payments for the duration of the treatment.
Contributed by Gandolf
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