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SWEDEN. Mervyn Johnson, trance healer and former president of the International Spiritualist Federation (ISF), has lost his appeal against the five-year prison sentence imposed on him by a Swedish court for child rape. The sentence was confirmed on 30 March.

We posted news of his conviction on 22 January (see Former ISF president found guilty of child rape).

Unfortunately for the ISF, British-born Johnson was confirmed as president just days before he faced serious sexual allegations in Sweden, to which he had moved to live and work. These resulted in seven charges being brought against him, including child rape, sexual abuse of a person in a position of dependence, and sexual molestation.

The complaints against him surfaced just months after the ISF’s meeting in Eastbourne in July 2006, during which Johnson – who had been acting president since the death of Marjorie Kite – was confirmed as president. That appointment was suspended with confirmation that he would be charged. He subsequently tendered his resignation.

Since then, Australia-based Garth Wiley has been ISF acting president but the Spiritualist federation has been understandably affected, with Johnson’s supporters believing he has been falsely accused of the charges brought against him, and others who take a different view and are concerned about the damage his actions have caused, not only to his victims but also to the Spiritualist movement.

There is even controversy within the ISF, which some believe has been slow to respond to events and to have attempted to keep quiet about the charges against Mervyn Johnson. Though it announced Johnson’s suspension in November, it was not until mid-February that it issued a statement expressing “heartfelt sympathies and healing thoughts” to “all who have been hurt in any way by what has occurred”.

With Johnson’s resignation, it was expected that Garth Wiley would automatically assume the presidency. However, as he had not served on the ISF committee prior to his appointment as vice president in June 2006, and because its bye-laws require the elected president to have served for two out of the last three years on the committee, the federation accepted legal advice that an election was necessary. There are only two candidates.

Posted on Monday, April 02, 2007
Category: Spiritualism

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