Eric
Roux, a 'legal representative' of the Church of Scientology in
France,
seems relieved after the Criminal Court of Paris returned
a
verdict of fraud against the church, without imposing dissolution.
Die Welt, Germany
Feeble French
Justice Lets Scientology Off the Hook
"Scientology
can pay these fines out of petty cash and continue to conduct its quasi-expropriations.
Not a glorious day for justice. Congratulations, Scientology!"
Science fiction writer turned religious prophet L. Ron Hubbard: The church he founded in 1954, which includes high-profile members like Tom Cruise and John Travolta, has averted being booted out of France due to a legal technicality.
The spokeswoman for French
Scientology dug deep into her vault of combat rhetoric: the verdict of the Criminal
Court of Paris is part of a “modern inquisition.” The judges ordered the sect, which
claims to be a church, to pay €600,000 [$884,000] for "fraud in an organized
gang," and four members of the leadership to parole.
[Editor's Note: The French
branch of the Church of Scientology was convicted of fraud and fined, but the
judges didn't ban the church entirely, saying that a change in the law
prevented such an action for fraud. The case was brought by two former members
who said they were pushed into paying large sums of money, pressed to sign up
for expensive “purification courses” and harassed to buy a variety of vitamins
and other forms of pharmaceuticals, plus electronic tests to measure spiritual
progress. The largest fines were rendered against the Scientology Celebrity
Center in Paris and a Scientology bookstore. Six of the church's leaders were
convicted of fraud, with four given suspended sentences of 10 months to two
years. The group’s leader in France, Alain Rosenberg, was given a two-year
suspended sentence and fined $44,700. Two others were given only fines, of
$1,490 and $2,980.]
Scientology will appeal the
decision, although things could have come out much worse for the organization, which
is under observation in France by the State Office for the Protection of the
Constitution. The district attorney of Paris had demanded the dissolution of
the church in France as well as a fine of €4 million [$6 million]. The fact
that this hasn't come about after nine years of continuous investigation has to
do with two issues: legislative and socio-political.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
First the legislative: As
part of a package of reforms to simplify the legal code, an element of the criminal
law that would have allowed for a ban was “mistakenly” removed. Secondly, the socio-political
cause: the court could have adjourned without rendering judgment until the
missing element of the criminal law was reinstated, but there was evidently a
lack of will. A ban, the court explained, would have pushed the sect
underground, making it uncontrollable.
Although Scientology was
convicted of criminal activity, the French judiciary failed to draw the proper conclusions.
Scientology can pay these fines out of petty cash and continue to conduct its
quasi-expropriations. Not a glorious day for justice. Congratulations, Scientology!
