Xenophon v. Xenu: Leading Australian Senator Calls for Criminal Investigation of Church of Scientology

In the aftermath of the criminal conviction in France (here), the Church of Scientology is facing a call for a criminal investigation in Australia from Senator Nick Xenophon, who presented the case against the church before the legislature.

Xenophon, used parliamentary privilege to present the case against the Church, presumably insulating himself from civil liability and putting the accounts of alleged victims into the record of the body.

He called the church’s “crimes” as “shocking” and declared that ”Scientology is not a religious organisation; it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs.”
He put into the record letters from former members, detailing what he says is a criminal enterprise. He specifically highlighted the case of Paul David Schofield who says that his first daughter, Lauren, died after she was allowed to wander around one of the Church of Scientology’s Sydney buildings and fell down some stairs. His second daughter, Kirsty, also died, after swallowing potassium chloride – a substance he said was used widely in the organisation’s ”purification” programs.

Scientology officials denounced the move as ”an outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege.” The Church insisted that former members are not reliable witnesses since “[t]hey are about as reliable as former spouses are when talking about their ex-partner.”

The Church was previously accused of hampering an investigation in Australia, here.

For the full story, click here.

17 thoughts on “Xenophon v. Xenu: Leading Australian Senator Calls for Criminal Investigation of Church of Scientology”

  1. CM and Buddha,

    Picture a Half-Nelson and then a Full Nelson. Then think about a reverse Full Nelson, there you have Father Nelson.

  2. AY,

    I do know wedgie (CM, it’s when you garb someone’s underwear from the back and give them a good tug), but too have no idea what a “Father Nelson” is.

  3. “Good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. But for good people to do bad things… that takes religion.”– Stephen Weinberg

  4. Thanks, mespo!

    That was just great. And what a show! Mel Blanc and Hunter Thompson as guests? I can’t believe I’d never seen either interview. I’m a huge Mel Blanc fan and not just the cartoon stuff either. He just killed on The Jack Benny Show.

  5. Still Scientology provides some useful services monitoring the abuses of psychiatry. Many years ago it was discovered that an insane and greedy doctors were doing production line zapping of patients deliberately kept in comas in the Chelmsford private hospital in Sydney. Many patients died from lung infections and others had permanent brain damage.

    It was Scientologists that exposed this scandal. Of course their beef with psychiatry is that it is unfair competition.

  6. Scientology, Mormanism, Christianity. I hesitate to say any one is nuttier than any of the others.

    I cannot see any way one can outlaw the cult of evil galactic emperor Xenu without also catching many of the varieties of the Guilt about sex and sexual abuse of children cults referred to as sects of Christianity.

    L Ron Hubbard was a pretty good writer of science fiction of that sub type referred to as space opera. Unfortunately he went on to discover that some fans of space opera are willing to take it a reality. But no one can point to any belief of scientology that is any sillier than corresponding beliefs of Christianity. A triple being that is his own son and his own father and that raped a virgin in the form of a ghost with holes in it. Raised from the dead after three days, PUHLEASE!!

  7. Wow, AY.

    When I was in high school, no one ever mentioned “Prophet” let alone “Senior Prophet” as a career choice.

    Those people are loopier than a box of Cheerios.

  8. Excellent.

    Now if we could just the DOJ to do their job in at least ONE respect, Scientology could be shut down as the rightfully characterized criminal enterprise that it is. They are also under attack in Germany and France. If 3 of the G20 are investigating them or punishing them already for their wrong doing? Then maybe someone at Justice should pull their head out and start looking a the Cult of Cruise.

    Think about the distraction value it would have so you can cover your bosses ass on how he’s selling out American interests to corporations just as fast as his predecessor.

  9. As an pro-science, ex-atheist now coming round to a “deity” concept, I feel sore at most of the misguided organized religions for having so convincingly recoiled me in disgust from my natural ideas.

    But the Scientologists are, in my outlook, the very worst of the scum-sucking lot. All about the money baby; a psychosis of insider-cliques & intrigue-ridden hives, eyes goo-goo fixed on the holy prize of positions offering abuse of power and delusions of grandeur without even a trace of any good works to excuse themselves.

    In my time I’ve had a kindly, timely word from a Rabbi and seen a fair few selfless sacrifices in anonymity by a few other members of God’s crazy army but to me Dianetics speaks of cash drives and plastic surgery.

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