Iowa church leaders dispute claims that children were harmed after 88 kids removed from camp

The organizers of a religious camp in southeastern Iowa, where 88 children were removed last week, said no one was harmed on the property.Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said they removed the children after reports of child abuse and endangerment were made at the Shekinah Glory Camp of the Kingdom Ministry of Rehabilitation and Recreation in Fredonia.According to the church’s website, the Shekinah Glory Camp was scheduled for June 8-29 in Columbus Junction. It was cut short after law enforcement searched the property on the June 12 and June 13. Authorities removed the children from the camp and placed them in temporary protective custody because many of them were from out of state. All of the children have been reunited with their families.Law enforcement is now conducting a human trafficking investigation.However, the church minister’s son claims that the children were never in danger. He said no one from the church was arrested and blames the search on a call to police that one child made because they did not want to be there.”We never harmed (the child that called police), we loved him. We bought him shoes, we bought him like $400 shoes, clothing, everything,” Victor Bawi said. Previous coverage: 88 children taken into protective custody after child abuse reported at Iowa church camp