sick rituals

The Vow sickens viewers with horrific branding scenes as NXIVM sex cult leader’s initials burned into women’s skin

THE Vow has sickened viewers with horrific branding scenes as the NXIVM sex cult leader's initials were burned into women's skin.

The HBO documentary series takes a disturbing look at the highly secretive NXIVM group, which claimed to be a place for self-improvement before making headlines last year after some of its most high-profile members faced charges of sex trafficking racketeering and forced labour.

The group was also accused of having sex slaves and carrying out human branding, and the series tries to untangle the cult's complicated web of deceit behind its self-improvement facade.

Reports first came to light about the cult in 2017 when the New York Times ran an article which saw former members claims they had been branded, starved and blackmailed.

Now the documentary has showed scenes of the branding carried out on women, and it has left viewers sickened and horrified.

Taking to Twitter, one viewer wrote: "BRANDED?? Naw this man needs hellfire, now. What kind of sick s**t?? #TheVowHBO."

Another tweeted alongside a shocked gif: "She convinced you to brand initials next to your vagina Make it make sense #TheVowHBO."

A third added: "I see s**t like #TheVowHBO and I don’t know whether to be shocked, sad or bored.

"I mean... who “lets someone brand them”? and thinks it’s just a way of showing loyalty? #cults."

Meanwhile a fourth wrote: "As soon as I had been told they wanted to brand me, I would have been OUT… I will never let a man brand me like his cattle."

NXIVM claims to be a self-help group and a multi-level marketing organisation.

Within the organisation, there is a women’s-only subsect led by Keith Raniere known as 'DOS', which victims say stands for “dominus obsequious sororium" - Latin for “master over the slave women”.

On May 17 a court heard that Raniere had 20 "sex slaves" that he branded with his initials.

The Vow airs on HBO in the US and will be available to watch on Sky Documentaries in the UK in November.