French convict Church of Scientology of Fraud...

[M.ister W]

Breaking news on the BBC news website - the Church of Scientology has been found guilty of organised fraud in France.

Just a headline at the moment so there's no page to link to.

[quixotecoyote]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/521345.stm

[M.ister W]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8327569.stm

It looks like this time the charges were against the church, rather than individual members. They haven't, however, banned them from operating.

[Lothian]

The case centred on a complaint by a woman who says she was pressured into paying large sums of money after being offered a free personality test. I take it that the personality test didn't pick up on her gullibility.

[Flo]

$cientology has never been considered a church in France, only an association (and a predatory cult). It has been condemned to a € 600'000 fine, its leader to a 3 years suspended sentence and a € 60'000 fine, and an obligation to publish the sentence through French and international media.

Originally, prosecution asked for a € 4 millions fine and the dissolution of the association, but it appears the law allowing for such a measure was surrepticiously modified last May. There are talks of $ciento's infiltration into some legislative body, which wouldn't be all that surprising, given what happened to several cases over the years (one judge stalled for years, files were "lost" or stolen, etc.).

I just read in a French paper (Liberation) that the rationale for not banning them from operating is to prevent them to continue undercover, which would make monitoring their activities more difficult.

[Akhenaten]

Church of Scientology convicted of fraud.


:bgrin:

[Darat]

I take it that the personality test didn't pick up on her gullibility.

Oh I am quite sure it did!

[Rrose Selavy]

Earlier thread here with more detail of the trial:
http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=123072

With the xenu Walkout and the major desertion , now this , a bad week for Hubbard's bare cupboard.

-

[plumjam]

It's about time they sent the auditors in.

[Rrose Selavy]

New added from the BBC link

The court was unable to impose a ban because of a legal amendment that was passed just before the trial began, preventing the banning of a organisation convicted of fraud.
However, that amendment has now been changed.
"It is very regrettable that the law quietly changed before the trial," Georges Fenech, the head of the Inter-ministerial Unit to Monitor and Fight Cults, told French TV.
"The system has now been put in place by parliament and it is certain that in the future, if new offences are committed, a ban could eventually be pronounced," he said.





Eric Roux, a spokesman for the Celebrity Centre, urged France to recognise Scientology's "legality".
"Religious freedom is in danger in this country," he said.


Freedom to scam, cheat & threaten, Yeah right:rolleyes:

[headscratcher4]

http://gawker.com/5390755/french-convict-the-church-of-scientology-of-fraud-almost-ban-it

[Akhenaten]

It's about time they sent the auditors in.





They do the best they cans.

[Akhenaten]

:)


http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=157590

[headscratcher4]

My bad... sorry.

[commandlinegamer]

There is a god.

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Today's Toronto Star has a page 3 article on what a bad week it has been for $cientology. I went to Google News to get a url but suggest instead that you just enter |scientology| into the News search box.

Much hilarity. Lots of more "bad news" from all over.

[dudalb]

Between this and Paul Haggis quiting the CO$ it has been a really,really, bad week for the Super Adventure Club.

[BenBurch]

Between this and Paul Haggis quiting the CO$ it has been a really,really, bad week for the Super Adventure Club.

Some day, this will all end like the Branch Davidians.

[fredcarr]

Some day, this will all end like the Branch Davidians.


Doubt it. Probably end more like the Italian trials of the 90s or the Austalian trials on the 60/70s or the IRS conflict.

[Bill Thompson]

Aw, man, ya'll done beat me to it.
Dawg, I was a-gonna post this 'ere news item lickity-split.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33490266/ns/world_news-world_faith/


PARIS - A Paris court on Tuesday convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud and fined it more than half a million euros — but stopped short of banning the group as requested by prosecutors.
The group's French branch immediately announced it would appeal the verdict.

The court convicted the Church of Scientology's French office, its library and six of its leaders of fraud. Investigators said the group pressured members into paying large sums of money for questionable financial gain and used "commercial harassment" against recruits.

The court did not order the Church of Scientology to shut down, ruling that it would be likely to continue its activities anyway, "outside any legal framework."

[ddt]

Today's Toronto Star has a page 3 article on what a bad week it has been for $cientology. I went to Google News to get a url but suggest instead that you just enter |scientology| into the News search box.

Much hilarity. Lots of more "bad news" from all over.

You mean this society page (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/popculture/popgoes/article/715323--pop-goes-the-week)? Hilarious indeed. :D

[Gord_in_Toronto]

You mean this society page (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/popculture/popgoes/article/715323--pop-goes-the-week)? Hilarious indeed. :D

I try to read only the print edition of the Star. But I see that in doing so I missed this:

Katie Holmes says Suri chooses her clothes. Two weeks ago she said Tommy chooses her clothes Stay tuned for November, when Katie's outfits will be chosen by Tommy's mother, a pet monkey, a totally random passer-by, Spider-Man and a medium-sized herd of centaurs.

Hmm. Arr. Oh. Hmm. :(

[arthwollipot]

Doubt it. Probably end more like the Italian trials of the 90s or the Austalian trials on the 60/70s or the IRS conflict.Which trials were they?

[dropzone]

It's about time they sent the auditors in.
They do the best they cans.
You know you've been in this business too long when you start getting the jokes.

[ddt]

Hmm. Arr. Oh. Hmm. :(
:D I wonder who Tommy is. Cruise or Davis? :crowded:

[Akhenaten]

Doubt it. Probably end more like the Italian trials of the 90s or the Austalian trials on the 60/70s or the IRS conflict.





Which trials were they?





The one in Australia ended with this memorable quote:


"Scientology is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

- Justice Anderson, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia


Nailed it, he did.

[Akhenaten]

You know you've been in this business too long when you start getting the jokes.





srs bsns

:D

[eccles]

"Christianity is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

[Gord_in_Toronto]

"Christianity is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."

But does Christianity claim to use Technology? :(

[BillC]

Online bookmakers Paddy Power now offering odds on which celebrity will be next to jump the Scientology ship (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100014992/john-travolta-the-most-likely-celebrity-to-leave-scientology-according-to-bookies/).

£20 each way on John Travolta!

[Akhenaten]

Between this and Paul Haggis quiting the CO$ it has been a really,really, bad week for the Super Adventure Club.





Not to forget Tommy Davis having a tanty on Nightline (http://www.stealthfusion.com/forum/faith/7927-scientology-spokesman-tommy-davis-leaves-interview-anger.html), for the trifecta.

[Oliver]

"Christianity is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."


The difference is that Christianity is a religion. ;"p

[pakeha]

Online bookmakers Paddy Power now offering odds on which celebrity will be next to jump the Scientology ship (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100014992/john-travolta-the-most-likely-celebrity-to-leave-scientology-according-to-bookies/).

£20 each way on John Travolta!

Thanks for the link!
Not only which celebrity, according to the article:

...Paddy Power has also opened a book on which countries will ban the religion before 2012: France is the front-runner.

[Flo]

...Paddy Power has also opened a book on which countries will ban the religion before 2012: France is the front-runner.

I'm afraid he's over optimist. French Co$ isn't finished yet, they've appealled the sentence and we can expect a full bag of tricks before a new trial and sentencing. If all goes well, they'll even receive a harsher sentence, but I wouldn't hold my breath, unfortunately.

[Flo]

"Christianity is evil; its techniques are evil; its practice is a serious threat to the community, medically, morally, and socially; and its adherents are sadly deluded and often mentally ill... (Scientology is) the world's largest organization of unqualified persons engaged in the practice of dangerous techniques which masquerade as mental therapy."



That broad brush might work if christianity were a unified organisation, with almost all and every one of its leaders behaving all the time and in all domains in a stricly predatory way ...

[progressquest]

There is a god.

And he apparently lives in France. Wait...this can't be right.

[Flo]

And he apparently lives in France. Wait...this can't be right.


or it may explain a lot of things. ;)