Scientology in France
Encyclopedia
A parliamentary report classified Scientology as a dangerous cult
. However, the French government recommended to not use the parliamentary reports and the lists included, through a circulaire
made by prime minister Raffarin in 2005
Several officials of Scientology have been convicted of crimes such as embezzlement, and contribution to suicide.
in the United States. It subsequently spread to other countries.
by French authorities of engaging in fraud
, fined 35,000 French Francs and sentenced to four years in prison. The head of the French Church of Scientology was convicted at the same trial and given a suspended one-year prison sentence.
Since 1995, France
has classified the Scientology as a "secte" as seen in the report of the National Assembly of France. On this basis, a hostile stance is generally taken against the organization. A 1999 government inquiry committee reporting on the financial aspect of cults recommended dissolving the Church of Scientology
because of swindling, complicity of swindling, abuse of trust, and other nefarious activities. A government report in 2000 categorized the church as an "absolute cult" and recommended that all its activities be prohibited. The keeping of files containing personal information on all its members (and other practices), are seen to qualify the Church as a totalitarian cult, moreover "extremely dangerous". The report rejected U.S. criticism of the French government's hostility towards Scientology, saying that Washington's protection of cults was "exorbitant".
In 2005 the city hall of Paris (socialist) passed an official resolution so that unlike in Marseille
, celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise
would never be made an honorary citizen, specifically because of his affiliation with Scientology.
The 2006 riots in France came in the midst of a parliamentary commission in charge of examining the influence of cults, particularly on youth, which started its hearings on July 12, 2006 and was scheduled to be completed in December that year. The government cults watchdog (MIVILUDES) subsequently warned that cults were infiltrating the suburbs, increasingly offering aid as a cover for their activities, notably so in a Church of Scientology's communique that "appeared to be taking the credit for calming the situation in one of the riot-hit suburbs."
Against general public opinion and while he was Finance Minister, current president Sarkozy had received Tom Cruise in Paris in 2004. He is now preparing to change the 1905 law that defines status for the non-profit associations, still against the essential French concept of separation between state and church, which will allow cults to receive money from the state.
s Church of Scientology, Jean-Jacques Mazier, was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for his role in the death of a member who committed suicide after going deeply into debt to pay for Scientology auditing
sessions. Fourteen others were convicted of fraud as well.
for illegally prescribed drugs, an e-meter, and books. The trial was due to begin on 25 May 2009. It was believed that if the French Scientology organization lost the case, it could end up being dissolved. On 16 June 2009 current.com
incorrectly reported that several of the church's leading members, including its leader Xavier Delamare
, had been arrested and that the church had been banned from practicing in France. As it turned out, the website had actually been referencing an outdated BBC news article from November 1999. In September 2009 it was reported that the French Scientology organization was no longer at risk of dissolution as a result of the fraud trial, due to a change in French legislation.
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. Four of the leaders received suspended sentences ranging from ten months to two years, while the other two were fined minor amounts. Agnès Bron, a church spokesperson, likened the fines to, "an Inquisition
for modern times". According to Catherine Picard, head of the French Association of Victims of Cults, the fining might encourage more "unhappy Scientologist recruits" to bring out their concerns. She also stated that, "Scientology can no longer hide behind freedom of conscience."
, Roux claimed that "we have a government that pushes for hate against religious minorities". However, what he and others contested was "the fraud that is committed against families and individuals".
The Church of Scientology stated that they would appeal, with U.S. Church spokesman Tommy Davis claim the proceedings as being a "heresy trial" and claims 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". Davis claims that the proceedings were "in total violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and French constitutional guarantees on freedom". According to his view, "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".
Agnes Bron, a French official for the organisation, claimed "For each person who complains we have 100,000 ready to say nothing but good things about scientology." Scientology has about 100,000 to 200,000 adherents worldwide.
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". 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". 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". 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".
In an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
current affairs
radio program
The Current
with Hana Gartner
, former high-ranking Scientology official Mark Rathbun
commented that the decision to convict the Church of Scientology of fraud in France would not have a significant impact on the organization. "On the France thing I don't think that's going to have any lasting impact, simply because they got a nine hundred thousand dollar fine I think - which is like chump change to them. They've got literally nearly a billion dollars set aside in a war chest," said Rathbun.
As of 2009, members of the church are also being sued for fraud and practicing pharmacology without a license.
Church of Scientology International (French)
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. However, the French government recommended to not use the parliamentary reports and the lists included, through a circulaire
Circulaire
In France, Italy, Belgium, and some other civil law countries, a circulaire , circolare or omzendbrief consists of a text intended for the members of a service, of an enterprise, or of an administration....
made by prime minister Raffarin in 2005
Several officials of Scientology have been convicted of crimes such as embezzlement, and contribution to suicide.
History
Scientology was founded in 1952 by science fiction writer L. Ron HubbardL. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
in the United States. It subsequently spread to other countries.
Legal status
In 1978, L. Ron Hubbard was convicted in absentiaIn absentia
In absentia is Latin for "in the absence". In legal use, it usually means a trial at which the defendant is not physically present. The phrase is not ordinarily a mere observation, but suggests recognition of violation to a defendant's right to be present in court proceedings in a criminal trial.In...
by French authorities of engaging in fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
, fined 35,000 French Francs and sentenced to four years in prison. The head of the French Church of Scientology was convicted at the same trial and given a suspended one-year prison sentence.
Since 1995, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
has classified the Scientology as a "secte" as seen in the report of the National Assembly of France. On this basis, a hostile stance is generally taken against the organization. A 1999 government inquiry committee reporting on the financial aspect of cults recommended dissolving the Church of Scientology
Church of Scientology
The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...
because of swindling, complicity of swindling, abuse of trust, and other nefarious activities. A government report in 2000 categorized the church as an "absolute cult" and recommended that all its activities be prohibited. The keeping of files containing personal information on all its members (and other practices), are seen to qualify the Church as a totalitarian cult, moreover "extremely dangerous". The report rejected U.S. criticism of the French government's hostility towards Scientology, saying that Washington's protection of cults was "exorbitant".
In 2005 the city hall of Paris (socialist) passed an official resolution so that unlike in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, celebrity Scientologist Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
would never be made an honorary citizen, specifically because of his affiliation with Scientology.
The 2006 riots in France came in the midst of a parliamentary commission in charge of examining the influence of cults, particularly on youth, which started its hearings on July 12, 2006 and was scheduled to be completed in December that year. The government cults watchdog (MIVILUDES) subsequently warned that cults were infiltrating the suburbs, increasingly offering aid as a cover for their activities, notably so in a Church of Scientology's communique that "appeared to be taking the credit for calming the situation in one of the riot-hit suburbs."
Against general public opinion and while he was Finance Minister, current president Sarkozy had received Tom Cruise in Paris in 2004. He is now preparing to change the 1905 law that defines status for the non-profit associations, still against the essential French concept of separation between state and church, which will allow cults to receive money from the state.
Suicide of Patrice Vic
On November 22, 1996, the leader of the LyonLyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
s Church of Scientology, Jean-Jacques Mazier, was convicted of fraud and involuntary homicide and sentenced to eighteen months in prison for his role in the death of a member who committed suicide after going deeply into debt to pay for Scientology auditing
Auditing (Scientology)
Auditing was developed by L. Ron Hubbard, and is described by the Church of Scientology as "spiritual counseling which is the central practice of Dianetics and Scientology".-Description:...
sessions. Fourteen others were convicted of fraud as well.
Suicide of Kaja Ballo
Kaja Bordevich Ballo, a Norwegian student in Nice, committed suicide hours after hearing the results of a negative Scientology personality test. In April 2008, Aftenposten noted that the French police were investigating connections between Scientology and Ballo's death. The investigation was being headed by a judge in France. Prosecutors stated in December 2008 that they could not determine a direct link between the Scientology personality test and Ballo's death. The family decided not to file a civil lawsuit, but the case received attention both in France, and in Norway where several family members were politicians, and where suicides are generally not discussed in mass media.Early
On September 8, 2008, Judge Jean-Christophe Hullin ruled that Scientologists' Celebrity Center, bookstore, and seven Church leaders should be tried for fraud and "illegally practicing as pharmacists". The ruling is in regards to a complaint made in 1998 by a woman who said she was enrolled into the Church of Scientology by a group she met outside a metro station. The woman said she paid 140,000 francsFrench franc
The franc was a currency of France. Along with the Spanish peseta, it was also a de facto currency used in Andorra . Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money...
for illegally prescribed drugs, an e-meter, and books. The trial was due to begin on 25 May 2009. It was believed that if the French Scientology organization lost the case, it could end up being dissolved. On 16 June 2009 current.com
Current TV
Current TV, or Current, is a media company led by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and businessman Joel Hyatt. Comcast owns a ten percent stake of Current's parent company, Current Media LLC....
incorrectly reported that several of the church's leading members, including its leader Xavier Delamare
Xavier Delamare
Xavier Delamare is the former regional leader of Scientology for the South Eastern portion of France. He was convicted of fraud on November 15, 1999 and jailed...
, had been arrested and that the church had been banned from practicing in France. As it turned out, the website had actually been referencing an outdated BBC news article from November 1999. In September 2009 it was reported that the French Scientology organization was no longer at risk of dissolution as a result of the fraud trial, due to a change in French legislation.
Case
On 27 October 2009, the Church of Scientology was convicted of defrauding recruits out of their savings. One woman claimed she lost more than €20,000 in the 1990s. Judges ordered the Scientology Celebrity Center and bookshop to pay a €600,000 (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 code. The dissolution law was not reinstated until after the case had begun, and therefore could not be used. Judges stated that disbanding the church would force it to work underground, where it could not be monitored. In his indictment, investigating Judge Jean-Christophe Hullin criticized what he called the Scientologists' "obsession" with financial gain and practices he said were aimed at plunging members into a "state of subjection".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. Four of the leaders received suspended sentences ranging from ten months to two years, while the other two were fined minor amounts. Agnès Bron, a church spokesperson, likened the fines to, "an Inquisition
Spanish Inquisition
The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition , commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition , was a tribunal established in 1480 by Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. It was intended to maintain Catholic orthodoxy in their kingdoms, and to replace the Medieval...
for modern times". According to Catherine Picard, head of the French Association of Victims of Cults, the fining might encourage more "unhappy Scientologist recruits" to bring out their concerns. She also stated that, "Scientology can no longer hide behind freedom of conscience."
Church public comments
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 the cult monitor MIVILUDESMIVILUDES
MIVILUDES , a French government agency, has the task of:* observing and analyzing movements perceived as constituting a threat to public order or that violate French law*...
, Roux claimed that "we have a government that pushes for hate against religious minorities". However, what he and others contested was "the fraud that is committed against families and individuals".
The Church of Scientology stated that they would appeal, with U.S. Church spokesman Tommy Davis claim the proceedings as being a "heresy trial" and claims 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". Davis claims that the proceedings were "in total violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and French constitutional guarantees on freedom". According to his view, "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".
Agnes Bron, a French official for the organisation, claimed "For each person who complains we have 100,000 ready to say nothing but good things about scientology." Scientology has about 100,000 to 200,000 adherents worldwide.
Future repercussions
Judges also said that they would ensure a paid posting would be placed in multiple publications outside France (including TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine and the International Herald Tribune
International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
) 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". 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". Georges Fenech, the head of MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES
MIVILUDES , a French government agency, has the task of:* observing and analyzing movements perceived as constituting a threat to public order or that violate French law*...
, 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". 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".
In an interview on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
current affairs
Current affairs (news format)
Current Affairs is a genre of broadcast journalism where the emphasis is on detailed analysis and discussion of news stories that have recently occurred or are ongoing at the time of broadcast....
radio program
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
The Current
The Current (radio program)
The Current is a Canadian current affairs radio program, hosted by investigative reporter Anna Maria Tremonti on CBC Radio One. It airs weekdays starting at 8:37 a.m. local time and runs until 10 a.m. for most of the year, although during the summer the program airs until 9:30 a.m...
with Hana Gartner
Hana Gartner
Hana Gartner is a Canadian television investigative journalist, best known as the host/interviewer of several programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation....
, former high-ranking Scientology official Mark Rathbun
Mark Rathbun
Mark "Marty" C. Rathbun was Inspector General of the Religious Technology Center , the organization that controls the copyrights and trademarks of the materials relating to Dianetics and Scientology...
commented that the decision to convict the Church of Scientology of fraud in France would not have a significant impact on the organization. "On the France thing I don't think that's going to have any lasting impact, simply because they got a nine hundred thousand dollar fine I think - which is like chump change to them. They've got literally nearly a billion dollars set aside in a war chest," said Rathbun.
As of 2009, members of the church are also being sued for fraud and practicing pharmacology without a license.
Adherents
The French government does not keep statistics on religion but in 1999 the Church itself claimed that it had 40,000 adherents in France.See also
- Notable Scientology court cases
- Religion in FranceReligion in FranceFrance is a country where freedom of religion and freedom of thought are guaranteed by virtue of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. The Republic is based on the principle of laïcité enforced by the 1880s Jules Ferry laws and the 1905 French law on the Separation of the...