Germany Rescued the Kids. 12 Tribes’ Yellow Deli Stayed Open.

The Twelve Tribes — the group behind the Yellow Deli restaurant chain — has faced allegations of systematic child discipline across three continents and five decades. Former members describe a community where a rod was kept above every door, where children were allegedly struck for crying, and where a 267-page manual reportedly codified exactly how to deliver pain in the name of love.

The manual was written by founder Gene Spriggs. He and his wife had no children together. He reportedly never raised a child inside the community. But the instructions he allegedly wrote governed how thousands of parents trea...