Church of Scientology goes on trial in France

[Caligula's Ghost]

The Church of Scientology in France went on trial today on charges of organised fraud.

Registered as a religion in the United States, with celebrity members such as actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta, Scientology enjoys no such legal protection in France and has faced repeated accusations of being a money-making cult.

The group's Paris headquarters and bookshop are defendants in the case. If found guilty, they could be fined â,¬5million and ordered to halt their activities in France.

Seven leading French Scientology members are also in the dock. Some are charged with illegally practising as pharmacists and face up to 10 years in prison and hefty fines.

The case centres on a complaint made in 1998 by a woman who said she was enrolled into Scientology after members approached her in the street and persuaded her to do a personality test.

In the following months, she paid more than â,¬21,000 for books, 'purification packs' of vitamins, sauna sessions and an 'e-meter' to measure her spiritual progress, she said.

Other complaints then surfaced. The five original plaintiffs - three of whom withdrew after reaching a financial settlement with the Church of Scientology - said they spent up to hundreds of thousands of euros on similar tests and 'cures'.  

They told investigators that Scientology members harassed them with phone calls and nightly visits to cajole them into paying their bills or taking out bank loans.

The plaintiffs were described as 'vulnerable' by psychological experts in the case.

Scientology, founded in 1954 by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, describes the 'e-meter' as a religious artefact that helps the user and supervisor locate spiritual distress.

Investigators have described the machine as useless and said vitamin cures handed out by Church members were medication that should not have been freely sold.

Judge Jean-Christophe Hullin ruled last year that the offices and members, including the group's 60-year-old French head, Alain Rosenberg, should be tried. The public prosecutor had recommended the case be shelved.

In a trial that has revived a debate about religious freedom in secular France, the defence is expected to argue the court should not intervene in religious affairs.

Scientology has faced numerous setbacks in France, with members convicted of fraud in Lyon in 1997 and Marseille in 1999. In 2002, a court fined it for violating privacy laws and said it could be dissolved if involved in similar cases.

The headquarters and bookshop account for most of the group's activities in France and a guilty verdict would in practice mean its dissolution, although it is unclear whether it could still open other branches in the future.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldne ... l?ITO=1490

[curiosityandthecat]

Just in case anyone is unfamiliar...

[Tanker]

Ah yes scientology the religion started by a science fiction writer who before creating scientology is quoted as saying "I've got to get into religion that's where the money is".

[VanReal]

Yes, and starting with a "personality profile" to determine who the gullible are isn't at all a clue to their deviance....

[SektionTen]

Scientologists scare me. They really do want to take over the world.  

[VanReal]

I wonder what was in the little "vitamin" packets....

[karadan]

Man, i love the French. They don't mess about when it comes to religion. They really don't give a toss who they offend, ie, making people take off their veils in the classroom. This lawsuit is an outstanding piece of news. The church of scientology is a nasty, nasty piece of work and it needs to be wiped out.

[Jayp]

I am curious why this case is being treated differently. Recently with the Bernie Madoff scandal, I was watching a TV show where some christian pastors have used their church to run a ponzi scheme. Even after they were caught, the blame fell on the guys running the scheme, but not on the religion. How about the pedophile issue? Again the church escapes the blame. In fact, even though the church leaders gave protection to these demons and helped them, how come the US justice system never went after them? Seems like different religions, different treatments.

[Jolly Sapper]

I am curious why this case is being treated differently. Recently with the Bernie Madoff scandal, I was watching a TV show where some christian pastors have used their church to run a ponzi scheme. Even after they were caught, the blame fell on the guys running the scheme, but not on the religion. How about the pedophile issue? Again the church escapes the blame. In fact, even though the church leaders gave protection to these demons and helped them, how come the US justice system never went after them? Seems like different religions, different treatments.

Because the second somebody tries to accuse the "religion" or the beliefs espoused therein caused or aided the illegal act it is up to the accuser to "prove" their claim.  An easy counter to this claim is that there are millions of followers of <Insert Religion Here> who don't rape kids or start ponzi schemes.  After that easy counter comes the political/media attack of , "They're out to abolish the first amendment!!"  This attack will destroy even the most air tight of cases as nobody in the US wants to be accused of being against the first amendment as its political suicide.