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Church of Scientology convicted of "organized fraud" in France
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| boris_the_bear |
Saw this on Wikipedia latest news. The usual cult stuff... ;)
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Conviction of fraud
On 27 October 2009, the Church of Scientology was convicted of "organized fraud".[22][23] The court said that new recruits were tricked out of their savings.[22] One woman claimed she lost more than €20,000 (£18,100) in the 1990s.[23] Judges ordered the Scientology Celebrity Center and bookshop to pay a €600,000 (approximately US$888,000) fine; earlier plans by the prosecution to force the Church to disband completely could not proceed. The law supporting complete dissolution was temporarily inadmissible, due to a rework of the penal system.[22] The dissolution law was not reinstated until after the case had begun, and therefore could not be used.[24] Judges stated that disbanding the church would force it to work underground, where it could not be monitored.[22]
Seven leading Scientologists were fined, including the head of Scientology in France, Alain Rosenberg. Rosenberg received a two-year suspended jail sentence combined with a €30,000 fine.[22] Four of the leaders received sentences ranging from ten months to two years, while the other two were fined minor amounts.[25] Agnès Bron, a church spokesperson, likened the fines to, "an Inquisition for modern times,"[25] According to Catherine Picard, head of the French Association of Victims of Sects, the fining might encourage more "unhappy Scientologist recruits" to bring out their concerns.[22] She also stated that, “Scientology can no longer hide behind freedom of conscience.”[25]
Judges also said that they would ensure a paid posting would go in multiple publications outside France (including Time magazine and the International Herald Tribune) to ensure the news would spread beyond France; according to Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the civil plaintiffs, "The court told the Scientologists, in essence, to be very, very careful, because if you continue to use the same methods of harassment, you won't escape next time".[22] Morice added that, "It’s the first time in France that the entity of the Church of Scientology is condemned for fraud as an organized gang."[25] Georges Fenech, the head of MIVILUDES, said that the court "condemned [the French branch of Scientology] as an entity... due to its fraudulent way of operating... [If] they begin swindling again, they can be subject to dissolution in the future."[24] Fenech added that, "[this] is a historical turning point for the fight against cult abuses," and that, while members are "allowed to continue their activity... a seed has been planted."[24] The Scientology Celebrity Center spokesman, Eric Roux, stated that, "There is an attitude toward religious minorities in general... that is pretty catastrophic." In relation to the government's backing of groups like MIVILUDES, Roux claimed that "we have a government that pushes for hate against religious minorities." However, Fenech stated that no one wished to dispute or combat Scientology's belief that "there was an intergalactic war 75,000 years ago"; what he and others contested was "the fraud that is committed against families and individuals."[24]
The Church of Scientology stated that they would appeal,[22] with U.S. Church spokesman Tommy Davis calling the proceedings a "heresy trial"[24] and stating that "the fines will get thrown out on appeal. We've had similar cases before and in other countries. If it has to go to the court of human rights we're confident we will win there."[23] Davis stated that the proceedings were "in total violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and French constitutional guarantees on freedom."[23] He added that, "France is pretty much in the Dark Ages on the subject of religious tolerance... We'll prevail as we have repeatedly in situations approximating this one."[24] |
SOURCE (Wikipedia)
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| D-res |
| Crazy bastards. How did they miss L. Ron Hubbard's multiple quotes expressing his desire to start a religion because of the potential profit involved. |
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| Sunsnail |
| As much as I hate them, I feel like they have a right to exist |
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| Moongoose |
| Double awesome. |
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| d-miurge |
| quote: | Originally posted by Sunsnail
As much as I hate them, I feel like they have a right to exist |
They still exist. |
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| iTranscendence |
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| we_R_DNA |
| quote: | Originally posted by iTranscendence
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This is the internet on the internet; oh lawd |
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