Ten lives forever scarred by allegations of horrific abuse at the hands of a trusted pastor—could a California megachurch have turned a blind eye?

On Dec. 22, 2025, ten individuals, including seven women, filed federal lawsuits in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging repeated sexual abuse and trafficking by Paul Havsgaard, a former pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, while they resided in now-defunct children’s homes in Romania operated by the church. The lawsuits also name Harvest Christian Fellowship, its founder Greg Laurie, and missions pastor Richard Schutte as defendants, accusing them of negligence and failure to prevent or report the alleged abuse. The plaintiffs, represented by McAllister Olivarius, include Marian-Liviu Mihaila, Alexandra-Elena Langa, and others ranging in age from 28 to 39.

Uncovering Allegations of Abuse in Romania

The issue has sparked intense debate over accountability in religious institutions with global outreach. How could such grave accusations, spanning from 1998 to 2008, go unaddressed for so long? These lawsuits join 12 prior claims by men alleging similar abuse as teens, painting a troubling picture of systemic oversight failures.

Plaintiffs like Mihaila claim Havsgaard abused them repeatedly, with Mihaila alleging incidents from 2002 to 2005 when he was just 15 to 18 years old. His lawsuit details punishments like solitary confinement for resisting advances, stating, “This ruined Marian’s prospects of turning professional.” That’s a heavy price for a young wrestler with dreams—sacrificed, allegedly, to a predator’s whims, as The Christian Post reports.

Then there’s Emilia-Mariana Tudosie, who claims abuse from age 10 to 15, including a chilling trip to California around 2000, where she alleges Havsgaard assaulted two boys at his home. Her lawsuit recounts, “Havsgaard raped Stefan S. and Mark M. on this trip to California.” If true, this isn’t just negligence—it’s a betrayal of sacred trust across continents.

Disturbing Claims of Oversight Failures

The lawsuits accuse Laurie and Schutte of aiding Havsgaard by ignoring warnings and keeping him in Romania with little supervision. Monthly deposits of $17,000 into Havsgaard’s personal account, allegedly without strict accounting, raise red flags about financial transparency. How does a church justify such lax control over funds meant for vulnerable kids?

Further allegations point to Cătălin Manescu, Havsgaard’s driver turned finance director at Harvest Homes, who reportedly knew of the abuse and targeted minor girls himself. Plaintiff Gheorghita-Bogdana Tici claims Manescu groomed and fondled her as a child. This isn’t just one bad apple—it’s a rotten orchard if staff complicity was so rampant.

Survivors also describe being forced onto the streets when the homes closed in 2008, four years after an internal investigation supposedly confirmed the abuse. If missionaries raised alarms, why the delay in action? It’s hard to see this as anything but prioritizing image over innocence.

Church Response and Legal Battle Ahead

Harvest Christian Fellowship has denied covering up abuse, with a spokesperson calling the claims “serious and disturbing” while labeling the lawsuits a “form of financial extortion.” That’s a bold defense, but dismissing survivors’ pain as a money grab feels like a dodge when the church admits reporting the allegations to law enforcement—yet Riverside Police confirm no active investigations. Where’s the follow-through?

The church insists it will “vigorously defend against these claims,” but public trust isn’t won in courtrooms alone. With no clarity on where allegations were reported, skepticism grows. Transparency, not deflection, is the only path to rebuilding faith here.

Details like an internet café where boys allegedly engaged in online exploitation under Havsgaard’s encouragement add layers of horror. Mihaila’s account of seeing peers coerced into webcam exposure for money isn’t just disturbing—it’s a failure of every adult in the room. Who was protecting these children if not the church?

Long-Term Impact on Survivors

Tudosie’s story of turning to drugs and enduring further assault by Manescu after returning from California speaks to lasting trauma. Now married with four children, she battles suicidal thoughts and PTSD. This isn’t ancient history—it’s a living wound for those allegedly betrayed by their caretakers.

The legal claims of negligence, emotional distress, and violations of trafficking laws aren’t mere accusations—they’re a call for justice against a backdrop of power imbalances. Religious institutions wield immense influence, often shielded by loyalty or fear of scandal. Shouldn’t that power come with ironclad responsibility?

These ten plaintiffs, alongside the prior twelve, aren’t just numbers—they’re voices demanding to be heard after decades of silence. The progressive push to dismantle traditional structures often misses the mark, but here’s a case where unchecked authority in any institution, sacred or secular, needs a hard reckoning. Let’s hope the courts deliver clarity, if not closure, for these wounded souls.