Leslie Baligod – Mother of Raphael Azariah (AMI churchgoer) 

Having never herself attended AMI, it is believed Leslie Baligod was radically influenced by Martin Penney. This woman was encouraged to go to the media with unfounded concerns about her grand-daughters’ welfare and imply churchgoers are paedophiles.

As part of this terrorist campaign, she was prepared to publicly discredit her own son, Raphael Azariah (who as a direct result of his mother’s lies, lost his job).

She has given many media interviews. Her motivation? A deep desire to discredit the Pastor after years of festering hatred towards him for helping Raphael, who had become a Christian years before meeting Ps Leo.

Note: While in his 20’s, Raphael Azariah was forced to live in a cold tin, toolshed in Leslie Baligod’s backyard and pay his mother rent for the privilege.

He later joined the Church after some years as a practicing Christian and was rehabilitated mentally, thereby escaping her control. It appears she developed a hatred for Ps Leo, even writing about this to her son, Raphael. In the same letter, written 10 years ago, she told her son that if he should ever have children, she never wanted to see them.

In an effort to counter his mother’s lies and the accompanying media hype Raphael Azariah contacted the SA government’s child protection agency, Families SA. He offered to have his children interviewed by a child psychologist. Afterwards, in her media conference about the matter, Ms Jennifer Rankine, the government minister at the time made it clear both children were to be found well, safe, and of sound of mind.

The girls showed no signs of trauma of any kind.

Due to the ongoing publicity seeking of this grandmother, and his job loss, Raphael and his family had to leave South Australia. It was the only way he could find work and support them.

He and his wife have been deeply saddened by such a troubled person acting so maliciously towards her own flesh and blood.