The lawyer claims that Åsa Waldau lived in terror: "Did not go to the toilet himself"

"The freezing - and the fear of going to hell - was the worst".

It was a frightening picture that Prosecutor Liselotte Herschen painted by the former Philadelphia Assembly in Knutby, on the first day of the distinguished trial of the three pastors Åsa Waldau, Peter Gembäck and NN.

Together with the plaintiff's assistants, she described in room 11 at Uppsala District Court, the culture of silence that characterized the closed company. The belief that Jesus would return and marry Åsa Waldau was so strong that the parishioners dared nothing but obey.

- The plaintiffs have accepted that they have been beaten and have taken on the debt themselves. They did not fight or try to defend themselves. For example, they could not put their hands up as protection, Liselotte Herschen said in court and continued:

- It was also important not to tell others that you have been exposed to violence or show their injuries. It was a pity if Åsa Waldau had to use force therefore she would not have to see the injuries or hear about them.

There has been an inner circle around Åsa Waldau, in the assembly called the "table". In addition to Åsa Waldau, there were also the two accused pastors and several of the persons who should have been subjected to abuse.

- If it was quiet at the table, Jesus' return could be hastened. On the contrary, if something was wrong or if there was concern in the circle closest to her, it could in the worst case completely prevent Jesus' return. Therefore, there was a great pressure to be "right" and strong in the faith.

Those who did "wrong" were ejected and accused of delaying Jesus' return. This, according to the prosecutor, led to a hierarchical culture where punishment was common. The violence must have escalated over time and been at its worst between 2013-2016.

"Because there was a strong faith in the congregation, they were afraid of going to hell," the prosecutor explained.

Åsa Waldau should also have been "looked after" by several of the victims.

- Åsa Waldau's routines have been such that she has been awake at night. She paints and wakes at 14-17 on the day. They helped her with laundry and cooking.

One of the other two pastors, Peter Gembäck, reported himself to the police and thus became the catalyst behind the legal process. He is charged with assault and unlawful coercion while the other pastor, NN, is charged with sexually exploiting a person in a dependency position.

Both Åsa Waldau and Pastor NN often closed their eyes on the stories of the plaintiffs. Pastor NN disputes responsibility and from the audience bench heard deep breaths when his lawyer explained that it was the then 17-year-old girl who was the driving force in the relationship.

Åsa Waldau, in turn, disputed many of the charges. According to lawyer Ester Andersson Zandvoort, Åsa Waldau has also lived in fear that every day could be her last, and she must have been terrified to "be wrong" before Jesus.

She also briefly described the events that took place in 2004 when Pastor Helge Fossmo had the family girl's child murder his wife, Åsa Waldau's sister, and seriously wounded another parishioner.

- One might wonder why they still believed in Fossmo's words about Christ's bride. But with the media drive that followed the murder, the group closest to Åsa became even more welded. Eventually, it increasingly led to Åsa becoming isolated. The group eventually decided that Åsa would close its door and get ready for Jesus, said Ester Andersson Zandvoort.

The district court also decided that the remainder of the trial should be held behind closed doors to protect the identity of the plaintiffs.

Here you can read more about what happened during the first trial day.