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An investigation by Arizona Daily Star reporters Carol Ann Alaimo and Emily Bregel revealed that a local ministry, Faith Christian Church, had for decades been aggressively recruiting members on the University of Arizona's campus, leaving in its wake a trail of traumatized former members who describe the church as a cult. Their stories — told independently over weeks of reporting — were remarkably similar. They included reports of hitting infants who exhibit a “rebellious spirit,” financial coercion, alienation from parents, public shaming of members and shunning of those who leave the church or question its leaders. After leaving, some say they spent years in therapy for panic attacks, depression, flashbacks and other symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.