Press

Press in the News

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December 10, 2006 Scientologists Get Pounds 270,000 From The Public Purse The controversial Church of Scientology has been granted a subsidy of more than pounds 270,000 a year in public money, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal. Scientology's lawyers used European rulings and Government equality regulations to force the City of London corporation to grant an 80 per cent rates discount for its new centre near St Paul's Cathedral. The "church", it is believed, is now pressing to pay nothing at all. The corporation confirmed that this discount was on the basis that Scientology is a "charity", despite the fact that the Charity Commission has refused to register it. The discount, referred to as a "mandatory rate relief", has been granted even though the Church of Scientology has estimated global assets of $398 million (pounds 203 million). London, Press
November 22, 2006 Scientologists Woo Police With Gifts Worth Thousands Police officers have accepted gifts worth thousands of pounds from the Church of Scientology, it emerged yesterday. The wealthy religious movement has spent the money cultivating contacts in the City of London force. Officers received free invitations to film premieres and a Pounds 500 a head charity dinner where the guest of honour was Tom Cruise. Sources inside the City police have described the church as "grooming" selected officers in the hope of winning powerful influence inside the force. London, Press, Scientology and Society
November 19, 2006 Scientologists Dish Up Anti-Psych Series DVDs Here's guessing Brooke Shields didn't get the Scientologists' 14- part documentary series - titled "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death" - as a wedding favor at TomKat's nuptials yesterday. The DVDs and brochure were produced by the Citizens Commission on Human Rights, which was founded in part by the Church of Scientology, and they're getting handed out in the Hub and elsewhere as part of the group's latest campaign against the traditional mental health system. Boston, obstructing psychiatry, Press
November 18, 2006 Love, Scientology-Style Some marital advice Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes could receive today: Never go to bed angry at each other. They may be told that newlywed "girls" expect "frills," and maybe a cat, and young men are prone to "forget" their promises. Katie Holmes, Press, teachings, Tom Cruise
November 14, 2006 National Enquirer: My 36 Hour Scientology Labor was Hell The National Enquirer runs an article by Bonnie Wood as told to Jane Ridley titled, "My 36 hour Scientology labor was hell. Please Katie, don't join this cult" where she describes her ordeal whille practicing the "silent birth" technique. Katie Holmes, Press
November 13, 2006 Read the Scientology Vows Cruise and Holmes Will Exchange at Their Wedding The dreamy Italian wedding supposedly taking place in under a week between Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes will see the Mission: Impossible star provide the bride with a 'comb' and a 'cat' during their scientologist marriage service. The traditional Scientology ceremony set to take place next weekend (17-19 Nov 06), will see the minister tell the bridegroom, "Now, Tom, girls need clothes and food and tender happiness and frills, a pan, a comb, perhaps a cat. All caprice if you will, but still they need them." Katie Holmes, Press, teachings, Tom Cruise
October 28, 2006 Scientology: Plasticine and Teddy Bears at the New UK Base of L Ron Hubbard While Scientologists describe their "applied religion" as an exact science which guarantees self-improvement, critics say the organisation is a personality cult based on the obscure beliefs of a man who said humans are aliens implanted into volcanoes trillions of years ago. Former members claim Scientology targets vulnerable individuals, persuading them into spending exorbitant sums of money on "auditing", a form of counselling. Posing as a student - Scientology's founder, the late science-fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, banned journalists from becoming members - the Guardian gained access to the church's newest centre of recruitment this week. Auditing, Clay Table, London, Press
October 27, 2006 Scientology Schizo Scientology, which now claims to have 10 million members, and has been the brunt of ridicule (see Tom Cruise), skepticism (see Tom Cruise) and craziness (see you-know-who), now has its own murder. That is the focus of tomorrow night's "48 Hours Mystery." The story is about the horrific 2003 murder of a gorgeous, upstate, Scientologist mom, Elli Perkins, by her 28-year old schizoid son, Jeremy. Elli Perkins, Jeremy Perkins, Press
October 24, 2006 The Strange Case Of The Cop And The Cult In 1984, Mr Justice Latey concluded a custody hearing involving Scientologists and former Scientologists by declaring that the organisation was "corrupt, sinister and dangerous", citing the Church of Scientology's "infamous practices" with regard to anyone who dares to criticise it or question its methods - though his rebuke appeared to have little effect on the Church's attack-dog approach to any kind of threat, however marginal. London, Press, Scientology and Society
October 24, 2006 Police Criticised over Scientology A cult information group has complained to a senior police officer about comments he made at the opening of the pounds 24m Church of Scientology centre in London. It also emerged yesterday that four City of London police officers attended a lavish reception at the headquarters of the Scientology movement in East Grinstead on Saturday night. London, Press, Scientology and Society

Press in the News

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May 12, 2006 Polish Scientologists Ordered to Remove Tents When Scientology erected tents in Warsaw's city center to attract new members, city officials ordered them taken down. Press
September 30, 1996 Patrice Vic Trial Begins - Scientology Executive Charged with Manslaughter Trial begins in the death of Patrice Vic. Scientology executive Jean-Jacques Mazier is charged with manslaughter, and 22 other Scientologists also face charges. crimes, deaths, France, Patrice Vic, Press