Scientologists on trial for fraud, violence and quackery
SEVEN Church of
Scientology®
officials accused of fraudently obtaining
money from converts and the illegal practice of medicine went on trial in
Marseilles yesterday.
The defendants, five of whom are women, are accused of "embezzlement, the
illegal practice of medicine and violence with premeditation" between 1987
and 1990. They are said to have charged for services like Dianetics,
described as a "mental science" aimed at "suppressing illness and
undesirable sensations".
The prosecution alleged they charged about £120 an hour, with some courses
of treatment in "extreme cases" priced at £1,500. This is the second trial
of Scientology officials in France. The first, in Lyons three years ago,
saw six receive suspended jail sentences on similar charges, with one
sentenced for manslaughter after a convert committed suicide.
The Marseilles trial has been surrounded by scandal after the unexplained
destruction of court documents relating to the case came to light this
month. It resulted from a suit brought 10 years ago by a doctor, Robert
Polguer, who said he had paid £137,000. The three judges retired for four
hours yesterday to consider a defence request for postponement because of
what one lawyer called "a hateful lynching atmosphere in the media." The
request was rejected. The defendants face up to five years in prison and
fines of up to £250,000.
On Sept 8, the justice minister, Elisabeth Guigou, ordered an inquiry into
the destruction of more than three tons of court documents, some of them
evidence collected for the Scientology case. The papers were included in a
consignment destroyed at the end of last year to make room for new files
in the main Marseilles courthouse. It was the second time that legal
documents relating to Scientology in France have disappeared.
Last year, other documents concerning the Church of Scientology -
officially considered a cult in France - disappeared from the Paris Palais
de Justice. That case, Mme Guigou said, was different. Then, "it was not
destruction but a disappearance and that was even more disturbing. Then
there was no question of error".
The prosecutor said the trial would still go ahead as planned but pointed
out that it would be up to the three-judge court to decide on the
importance of the missing papers once the court convened. As the trial
opened, the prosecutor said the documents destroyed were "subsidiary" and
enough evidence remained to put his case.
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By Julian Nundy in Paris
Telegraph
September 21, 1999
[Note: The Scientology® organization has at best estimate approximately
45,000 to 50,000 followers world wide -- contrary to the 8 million figure
that the organization has been claiming for the past few years or so.
While that number continues to drop (thanks in part to the Internet) few
of the remaining followers are even aware of the unending series of police
raids, indictments, and prison terms their leaders and fellow cultists are
subjected to routinely. Few are allowed to know about their organization's
criminal history, or its current racketeering activities. Even fewer of
the cult's remaining followers are privy to their messiah's written
policies which dictates the criminal behavior that keeps getting their
organization raided (see Xenu.NET for
suitable references of Scientology policy) Scientology management
is the problem, not the thousands of honest believers who are good,
honest citizens; themselves victims of Scientology - flr]
The name "Narconon"® is trademarked to the Scientology organization through one of their many front groups. The name "Scientology"® is also trademarked to the "Church" of Scientology. Neither this web page, nor this web site, nor any of the individuals mentioned herein assisting to educate the public about the dangers of the Narconon scam are members of or representitives of the Scientology organization.
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