Paris - The Parisian court administration has been fined approximately 5,000 franks for the disappearance of court documents in cases against Scientology. The judgment stated that these errors were inexcusable.
The investigation records turned up missing during proceedings against staff of the Scientology organization. There was no explanation for how the records disappeared. Investigation records against Scientology also disappeared in September in Marseille in southern France. The court there had accidentally destroyed the records.
Mysterious circumstances surrounding the process fuel the suspicion that France's Justice Ministry has been infiltrated
Paris, France
September 21, 1999
Frankfurter Rundschauby Hans-Hagen Bremer (Paris)
In Marseille, a trial against members of the Scientology sect has begun. The seven accused, among them the former director of the local sect bureau in the southern French city and Nizza, Xavier D., have been charged with fraud.
It is the second time that members of the French organization of the U.S. American Scientology sect have had to answer in court. And like three years ago, when several activists of this organization were convicted of negligent death, fraud and extortion, this new trial, which has been opened after ten years of preparation before a Marseille criminal court, is taking place under peculiar circumstances: two weeks ago justice officials had to concede that a portion of the trial documents, including bookkeeping records, documents on sect members, brochures and books, had landed in a shredder a year ago.
Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou stated that a Justice Ministry employee had mistakenly turned the records over for destruction. The suspicion, however, that it could have involved a deliberate act of destruction, was not completely cleared up. Because that was not the first time that important documents on the sect, which has been described as "dangerous" in a French parliamentary report, have disappeared in a peculiar way. In 1996, for instance, the records of the investigative commission of the Enquete on sects in France turned up missing out of an armored vault at Palais Bourbon. The incident was made all the more serious because the hearings had been made behind closed doors in order to alleviate the fears of apostate sect members. A little later, material incriminating to Scientology was stolen from the Parisian Palace of Justice.
So it is not surprising that responsible politicians like the President of the Government Commission for the Defense against Sects, Alain Vivien, has expressed the suspicion lately, that the Justice Ministry could have been infiltrated by the Scientology sect. Their respect and their credibility is being put in question, fears Vice President of the National Assembly, Raymond Forni.
In the Marseille trial, the defense is exploiting this situation in favor of their clients. They stated that the Justice Ministry is suffering from an "infectious paranoia." Nevertheless, their application to suspend the process or postpone it until the records could be re-created was rejected by the court. That will be decided at the end of the transactions.
The seven accused, who are suspected of having relieved their victims of up to 150,000 franks (about 45,000 marks [$33,000]) apiece with a so-called "purification cure," will not be spared having to answer to the court for their actions. And the claimants will not lose the opportunity for reparation after such a long time. Of the ten victims who filed charges in 1989, only two are still there. The others have withdrawn their charges - "out of fear of reprisal," the state attorney believes.
Scientology trial in Marseille -
3.5 tons of documents disappearedStrange Accidents in Court
Paris, France
September 21, 1999
Der StandardPresidential offices in Paris said to have been infiltrated.
Standard correspondent Stefan Braendle from Paris
Probably only Scientologists believe in coincidence: on more than one occasion in France recently, court documents have disappeared or have been "inadvertently" destroyed before trials against their group. That also happened shortly before a trial against seven Scientologists which began yesterday in Marseille.
The charges are of fraud. One of the parties, a doctor by profession, had made out a check for over 132,000 franks for the so-called "Dianetics" course. Today he - as are other Scientology "customers" - is demanding his money back. The proceedings are the second of this kind in France.
They made for headlines two weeks ago when it was learned that not less than 3.5 tons of court documents had wandered into the shredder and had been destroyed - books, files on adherents, bookkeeping records and two electrometers (with which Scientologists "measure emotion" of new entrants.
The disappearance of the documents was even stranger than the disappearance of court documents which had been assembled for years out of a court safe in Paris. Scientology documents also vanished into thin air in the north French city of Caen. Add to that a burglary into the office of the director of a parliamentary sect commission. The public is asking how this could have been possible in heavily guarded buildings like the National Assembly or the Palace of Justice. The sect commission is wondering aloud whether certain administrative offices in the state apparatus could have been "infiltrated by sects."
The presiding judge in Marseille came to the conclusion that the justice official had destroyed the Scientology material because of a mistake.
The French Scientologists - whose number is estimated at 30,000 - see themselves as victims of a hue and cry.
The attorney of the accused in Marseille has sought to turn the scandal of the missing records to his own advantage: in the "general atmosphere of suspicion," he believes, a trial would not be conceivable because the only possible result would be an adjournment. That would not be the first delay; the trial was originally supposed to have taken place in 1995.
Scientology is also the topic of discussion elsewhere in France: according to the administration's sect commissioner, Alain Vivien, the organization from Los Angeles [USA] had previously "infiltrated the environment of a former state president, and this has never been refuted"; by that was meant the Mitterand era from 1981 to 1995.
Minister of Justice Elisabeth Guigou, who expressed her support for the trial to begin in spite of any difficulties, stated a few days ago that her impression of the events was to consider a ban of Scientology.
Files Destroyed
Paris, France
September 10, 1999
Tages-AnzeigerParis. - In Marseille, tons of files on a pending trial against seven Scientology members have been destroyed - by mistake, as the state attorney's office asserted sanctimoniously. At the end of the 1980s a former member of the sect had filed charges of fraud, illegal medical practice and deliberate use of violence. Because of various procedural deficiencies, the proceedings were postponed in 1995. The next court date was supposed to have been this coming September 20.
It has now become known that the state attorney's office, in the process of the annual destruction of its completed cases, had also destroyed the records of the pending Scientology case. It was considered to have been a mistake, the office reassured [the public]. However, the accusing party scents behind this an attempt to sabotage the process. If that were the case, then the Scientologists would have had to have direct or indirect access to the records. The "error" version [of the story] has therefore run into skepticism because last year, in a Paris Scientology case, records disappeared in a way which was just as mysterious as this one was.
The accuser's attorney stated, however, that the process could nevertheless be continued; the most important documents were said to be still available. Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou ordered an investigation. (J.S.)
Mysterious destruction of files
Marseille, France
September 9, 1999
Rhein ZeitungDocuments from proceedings against Scientology shredded
Marseille - The mysterious destruction of about 3.5 tons of court documents for a process against seven members of the Scientology organization in Marseille has caused outrage among France's politicians. On Wednesday, the French Justice Minister, Elisabeth Guigou, described the event as "very grave" and immediately had the premises of the state court of the southern French port city searched and commenced an investigation.
That is where the proceedings against the Scientology members are to held on September 20 for fraud, illegal practice of medical consultation and deliberate violence. The French State Attorney General has also intervened.
The state attorney responsible in Marseille said the documents had accidentally landed in records destruction. An employee was said to have thought that the proceedings had already been closed out. "An absolute oversight," protested the state attorney. The presiding President of the French National Assembly, Raymond Forni, said in response that he did not believe "for one second" that a mistake had occurred. Forni concluded that one had certain documents disappear to encumber the process. From his viewpoint some institutions and agencies have been infiltrated by the organization.
Scientology spokeswoman: "Surprised like everybody else"
Danielle Gounord, the Scientology spokeswoman, dismissed all accusations and stated that her organization was not responsible for the destruction of the files. She said she was just as surprised as "everybody else."
The upcoming trial, which according to the state attorney's office should begin promptly despite the scandal, goes back to 1990 charges by a former Scientology member and a doctor from Marseille. The case was already tried once in 1995. Because of a procedural error, the proceedings had to be re-instituted. Among the destroyed documents, according to a statement by the court, was literature about the Scientology organization and confessional records of adherents of Scientology.
About a year ago there was another scandal in connection with court documents against Scientology, which is said to have 30,000 members in France. At that time several important documents disappeared from a Paris court.
dpa
Trial files in the shredder
Marseille, France
September 9, 1999
Main Rheiner PolitikMarseille, (dpa) - In the state court of the southern French metropolis of Marseille about 3.5 tons of court documents for the trial against members of the Scientology organization were destroyed in a file shredder. The proceeding against those accused of fraud, illegal practice of medical counselling and deliberate violence was supposed to have begun September 20.
The state attorney responsible mentioned an "error." The presiding president of the French National Assembly, Raymond Forni stated, in response, that he did not for one second believe that it was a mistake. "I think there are some institutions and agencies which have been infiltrated by members of the sect. Therefore, action must be quickly taken," said Forni. He concluded that certain documents were intentionally made to disappear to encumber the trial.
Paris, September 9 (kna). French Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou is considering a ban of the Scientology organization. "It is clear that these sects, and especially Scientology, are extremely powerful and are supported by a financial and commercial network which gives them considerable operational resources," said Guigou on Thursday to the French radio broadcaster, RTL. She is awaiting proposals from the government's sect commission.
According to French radio reports on Thursday, other files for proceedings against Scientology members turned up missing in courts in Caen in northern France, and in Verdun in eastern France.
It had previously been found out that trial folders from two proceedings against Scientology members were missing in Paris and Marseille.
Scientology records of investigation destroyed in Marseille
Paris, France
September 8, 1999
YahooFrench Justice Department initiates Investigation
Paris (AP) The French judicial authorities have initiated investigations into the destruction of evidentiary material against the Scientology Church. "The incident must be explained," said Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou on Wednesday after a cabinet session in Paris. In mid August in the port city of Marseille, three tons of files were destroyed which were to be used for an investigative process which was being carried out against seven Scientology members. The process against them starts September 20.
"It is a serious matter for the evidence to have disappeared," said Guigou. "Is it a mistake? Is it sabotage?" After the incident, the justice officials in Marseille mentioned something about a mistake. One employee was said to have negligently, unintentionally destroyed the files. The trial at the end of September concerned charges of fraud against the Scientology members. Besides that they were accused of having illegally provided medical treatment.
The process was founded on testimony of a former Scientology member. His attorney, Jean-Michel Pesenti, said that the missing files did not contain important documents. Nevertheless, Scientology could use the incident to delay the trial.
Back in October 1998 investigative files on Scientology members had disappeared in Paris. The outcome of that trial is anticipated on September 29, and also deals with charges of fraud.
Scientology Investigation files destroyed in Marseille
Marseille, France
September 8, 1999
AFPMarseille, September 8 (AFP) - 3.5 tons of investigative records which were to be used in a charge against the Scientology Organization were destroyed in a court in the southern city of Marseille. On Wednesday, the Justice Department ruled out a wanton destruction of files. The president of the court and the jurisdiction's state attorney informed those participating in the proceedings on Tuesday about the "erroneous destruction" of the files. The files were meant for a process against seven members of the Marseille Scientology Church. In about two weeks they were to have gone on trial for "fraud, illicit practice of medicine and deliberate force." A French Committee for the Fight against Sects (MILS) expressed a suspicion that the destruction of files could have been managed with accomplices. Back in October, Scientology files also disappeared in Paris. "The question arises of whether several state agencies have not been infiltrated by sects," declared the committee. The proceedings were a result of the charge by a doctor and former Scientology members in 1990. The first trial took place in 1995, however the sentence was struck down in further proceedings. Among the files were, according to an attorney, Scientology literature, member dossiers, account books as well as several E-meters, which are special measuring devices used by Scientologists.
3.5 tons of court documents for trial against Scientology destroyed
Marseille (dpa) - In a state court of the southern French metropolis of Marseille, about 3.5 tons of court documents were destroyed which had been assembled for a trial against members of the Scientology Organization.
The proceedings against Scientology members were to have begun on September 20 for "fraud, illicit practice of medical consultation and deliberate acts of violence" it was said on Wednesday.
While the state attorney spoke about the documents erroneously landing in a file shredder, the presiding President of the French National Assembly, Raymond Forni, declared that he did not believe for one second that a mistake could have happened. The Ministry of Justice in Paris ordered an extensive investigation of the case, including a search of the court's premises.
Forni concluded that certain documents had disappeared through design in order to encumber the proceedings. From his perspective some institutions and agencies have been infiltrated by the organization.
The court process at hand was the result of a charge by former Scientology members and a doctor from Marseille which went back to 1990. The case was already tried once in 1995. Because of a procedural error, the proceedings had to start over again.
Among the destroyed documents were, according to the court, literature about the sect and confessional records of Scientology members.
dpa
French sects use sport and leisure clubs to lure customers
Paris, France
June 8, 1999
Die Weltby Tanja Kuchenbecker
Paris - Sect influence upon children is being scrutinized in France for the first time. The terrible bottom line: more and more children are falling victim to sects.
According to a report from an office of the Interior Ministry, it is estimated that about 40,000 children have been affected. A total of 66 sect movements were recorded, according to the 250 page investigation as reported by the French daily newspaper, "Le Parisen,", which lure children primarily with sport or leisure clubs or influence them to a large extent in private schools.
Sects are said to have influence on about 6,000 children in private schools. Frequently their parents do not have the slightest idea to whom they are entrusting their children. For instance it recently surfaced that the "Institut Aubert" school in Paris has connections to Scientology. A young woman complained that, as a sixteen year old, she had fallen into the hands of sect leader Fay Chemli in a private school and had been abused for years.
The investigation by the Parisian Ministry of the Interior showed a growing importance in independent sects. Often they have fewer than 50 members and live under the domination of a guru. Quite frequently abuse and rapes have been found to occur in these groups.
The most significant role in the recruitment of children at this time is played by groups affiliated with Scientology. With short courses, sports, tutoring and child care, according to the report, the sect has already attracted 2,000 children. The Moon sect has reached 500 children through family organizations. Another 300 children belong to groups of the Raelian movement, which is allegedly involved with "nature and harmony."
French sects use sport and leisure clubs to lure customers
Paris, France
June 8, 1999
Die Weltby Tanja Kuchenbecker
Paris - Sect influence upon children is being scrutinized in France for the first time. The terrible bottom line: more and more children are falling victim to sects.
According to a report from an office of the Interior Ministry, it is estimated that about 40,000 children have been affected. A total of 66 sect movements were recorded, according to the 250 page investigation as reported by the French daily newspaper, "Le Parisen,", which lure children primarily with sport or leisure clubs or influence them to a large extent in private schools.
Sects are said to have influence on about 6,000 children in private schools. Frequently their parents do not have the slightest idea to whom they are entrusting their children. For instance it recently surfaced that the "Institut Aubert" school in Paris has connections to Scientology. A young woman complained that, as a sixteen year old, she had fallen into the hands of sect leader Fay Chemli in a private school and had been abused for years.
The investigation by the Parisian Ministry of the Interior showed a growing importance in independent sects. Often they have fewer than 50 members and live under the domination of a guru. Quite frequently abuse and rapes have been found to occur in these groups.
The most significant role in the recruitment of children at this time is played by groups affiliated with Scientology. With short courses, sports, tutoring and child care, according to the report, the sect has already attracted 2,000 children. The Moon sect has reached 500 children through family organizations. Another 300 children belong to groups of the Raelian movement, which is allegedly involved with "nature and harmony."