Belgian newspaper De Morgen On Legal Choices To Hit Scientology

Thank you to Anonymous member TrevAnon for posting about the following article Belgian newspaper De Morgen on legal choices to hit Scientology. I have posted the original via BlogThis and have provided an English translation summary posted by another anonymous member because the Google translation did not translate the title accurately.

De Morgen De Gedachte -
Tref scientology in het hart (1022367) Belgium

Anonymous Summary:

Be firm with Scientology
Luc Willems is a lawyer who is the former reporter of the parliamentary inquiry into the cults and former senator for Open VLD, a liberal Belgian political party. Den Morgen is a reputable somewhat Leftist newspaper.

Belgian law, like French law but unlike English law, is Napoleonic and so depends on the application of general categories such as abuse of trust, extortion, illegal practice of medicine, or theft.

In France this week Scientology was convicted of organized fraud and in the U.S. is under attack by several legal suits brought by former members. In Belgium also several lawsuits against the cult are pending. Luc Willems has been occupied with the problem of cults for years: "Police and public prosecutors still do not have the right weapons to fight cults.”

The power that these organizations want to exercise conflict with basic rights and freedoms. To what extent should the government intervene?

Opinions are divided. Some say people should think for themselves; others feel that when people in distress are being manipulated, there should be more government intervention.

In the field of consumer protection the government in the seventies already set rules and enforcement to protect consumers from deception and misleading sales practices. A clear choice was made in favor of protecting the individual over the unbridled freedom of contract. And with success.

In Scientology the same question arises. Scientology followers are recruited through personal contacts or cover organizations. The potential victim is put through a profound personality test. The outcome of these tests is always similar: there are problems, but they can be cured by Scientology. The potential cult-member then gets a communication course offered at almost no cost or even free. Then a new course follows that costs more and before the cult-member knows he or she is immersed in the Church of Scientology and they pay expensive courses with questionable content and without results.

As long as this is done freely, there still is no problem. Gradually, however, the organization takes control over the cult member's personal life. Then it gets dangerous. Is the member able to get out at any time he wants? Does Scientology respect that choice? Does Scientology allow the ex-member to quietly build up his life again? There are many testimonies of victims against Scientology in this respect. Victims quickly lose 50,000 euros and their lives with it. They go further into debt to be able to take courses.

People in the throes of a personal crisis are particularly vulnerable: a broken relationship, job loss or loneliness makes them vulnerable to the feel-good-courses. The effects in relational and financial terms are dramatic. The same problems occur with therapeutic and other religious cults.

Rain in Paris

The parliamentary inquiry into cults in 1997 identified a series of failures in legislation and administration. Despite fierce criticism from cults, the majority of the recommendations from the inquiry were implemented into guidelines and legislation, and made operational. The most important part was the independent IACSSO, the advisory centre that informs the general public about cults in our country. Addressing the harmful cults was efficient and there followed a number of convictions. One recommendation which would criminalise the core business of cults has so far remained a dead letter: this is the mental destabilization of individuals and the abuse of vulnerable people. Since 2001 France has the About-Picard law which addresses these questions.

This law allows for prosecution to investigate proactively and for the courts to condemn serious violations. In Belgium, the prosecution must rely on more general crimes such as forgery, abuse of trust, extortion, receiving stolen goods, theft, slander, defamation or unlawful practice of medicine. The core of the activity, the abuse of the mental weakness of certain groups of people, remains out of reach. A thoughtful and effective legislation is essential to address certain issues. Police and public prosecutors have to date no appropriate legislative means to fight the dubious and reprehensible practices of certain cults.

Drizzle in Brussels

The support for legislation designed to prosecute such cases has significantly increased over the years. The opinions of the parliamentary monitoring committee in 2005 and the IACSSO indicated that there is wide cross-party support. However no parliamentary debate took place. Now it's raining in Paris, is perhaps the time to let it drizzle in Brussels.



Here is the original via Blog This

Tref scientology in het hart

German ministers say Scientology unconstitutional

Scientology is unconstitutional in many countries, including the United States despite it's tax exempt status. Scientology is like Wisteria - invasive, destructive and difficult to get rid of.

The Germans are trying to avoid what happened in their past and what happened to America.

Catch The Washington Post's article:

German ministers say Scientology unconstitutional
By Louis Charbonneau
Reuters
Additional reporting by Markus Krah; Editing by Andrew Dobbie
Friday, December 7, 2007; 9:15 AM

Scientology Sued For Fraud & Harrassment in Holland

Article in the dutch weekly " nieuwe revu " written by a very courageous journalist named Door Jeroen Kuiper, reposted & translated with permission and provided by ex scientologist 'Navy' of alt.religion.scientology and Operation Clambake.

* "I quit the Church with a debt of 150.000 Euros."

Ex members of the Church of Scientology in Holland sue COS Netherland for Harrasment and Fraud.

English transcript: Fair Use Quotes:

The scientology church in Holland was, other than Belgium and Germany, never troubled. But now ex-members file complaints at with the police for extortion and blackmail. "Scientology is one big money machine." [..]

[..] Complete brainwash.

Welcome to scientology, a religion leading you to a higher spiritual level through the bridge of total freedom according to one, a dangerous cult only greedy for your money and which should be prosecuted according to others.

The latter includes Willem Geurts. "I left the scientology church after being in for ten years, 150,000 euro's in dept (220,500 dollars. Navy)." Geurts lost everything he had: friends, his job, his home. He spent a total of 300,000 euro's on Scientology (441,000 dollars. Navy). He knows of people who have spent lots of money and are now tons in debt. "Almost every scientologist is in debt. Only during the last fifteen years it happened to at least 500 people."

The decision of the Belgian government to sue scientology was for Geurts the final reason to go to the police and press charges. "I pressed charges on extortion, swindle and practicing not allowed pressure. Because these are the ways scientology gets its money."

Geurts told the police of his experiences with the extortions , like the infamous donations. Geurts: : It is expected you donate to the church. This is how it goes: about 50 people gather at some place, a speakers stand in front of them and says 'we need 200,000 euro's for a media campaign. Or to obtain some real estate, it doesn't matter what. Nobody is allowed to leave before the money is donated. If needed the
whole group stays all night. Anyone trying to leave is pushed back in, being told he or she is behaving anti-social. It happened to me. There is tremendous social pressure to make you pay. Sometimes more then one person talk to you at the same time, it is complete brainwashing. They continue until you get psychotic and begin making mistakes. When you promised to donate, you have to confirm it in writing. When necessary, five people surround you. On the paper you sign it reads that you
voluntarily donated and there is nothing you can do about it. Subsequently they escort you to the bank. When the money isn't transferred on time, members of scientology come to visit you, or phone you, harass you at your job."

Afraid of law suits

Geurts not only pressed charges for extortion, he also pressed charges for swindle. Geurts: "The church sold me materials, known within the church as original materials. That is very important to study scientology. I found out these materials were altered. I spent tons for these materials. I want my money back. As far as I am concerned, this is swindle." A small part of his money Geurts got refunded. After
he left scientology, Geurts decided to found an organization to demand as much money back as possible: Scientologypayback.org. Geurts: "I managed to get refunds in the amount of 500,000 euro's, of which 26,000 euro's for myself. I asked an incasso office for advise."

Geurts wants other ex-members also to press charges. It wont be easy, because many ex-members are afraid of law suits. "The church always goes to court for long lasting court cases. Most people can not afford that."

Geurts: "Scientology is one big money machine. The first book I ever bought I payed 300 guilders for (200 dollars. Navy). The following books only were more expensive. Prices of courses you buy also increase very fast. They cost you thousands of euro's, up to 50,000 for courses that last one year (73,500 dollars. Navy). Then you have audits. They run from 1000 up to 2000 euro's an hour (1470 up to 2940 dollars). Someone wanting to reach clear needs 250 hours of auditing. Costs run into tons." He doesn't understand whyscientology is let free to do what it likes to. "Judicial authorities should invade them. They should confiscate the archives the church keeps of its members. They use it to blackmail tehir members. When the authorities would talk with ex-members, the end of scientology would be very near." [..] read on

Complete English Translation:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.scientology/msg/f30d02f7ebacf19a?
Complete Original Copy :
http://ocmb.xenu.net/ocmb/viewtopic.php?t=24389http://www.scamofscien

*foto by Clemens Rikken