FRANCE: COURT IN PARIS FINES THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY 8,000 EUROS FOR VIOLATING PRIVACY RIGHTS OF FORMER MEMBERS

Record ID: 646704

  • Title: FRANCE: COURT IN PARIS FINES THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY 8,000 EUROS FOR VIOLATING PRIVACY RIGHTS OF FORMER MEMBERS
  • Date: 17th May 2002
  • Summary: (U5) PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 17, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: EXTERIOR OF COURT OF JUSTICE 0.04 2. WS: INTERIOR OF COURT OF JUSTICE 0.08 3. SV: PEOPLE ON BENCH 0.12 4. MV: EXTERIOR OF COURT ROOM 0.15 5. SV: MARC WALTER, LEADER OF THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY IN PARIS ARRIVING 0.18 6. MV: POLICEMEN STANDING; MARC WALTER ENTERING COURT ROOM 0.26 7. SV'S PEOPLE GOING INTO COURT ROOM (2 SHOTS) 0.38 8. CLOSE UP OF GENDARME 0.40 9. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) OLIVIER MORICE, PLAINTIFFS LAWYER SAYING: "The Church of Scientology in the greater Paris area is sentenced and we are satisfied. We should not under estimate the symbol of such a decision. The justice has given scientology a warning. We are waiting with impatience for the other proceedings to go ahead and we will then see perfectly all the practice of the scientology. As for the UNADFI (National Union for the defence of the families and human beings), it will take the Church of Scientology to other courts and we think that the public prosecutors department will ask for the judicial dissolution. Once again, we are satisfied." 1.34 10. SCU: REPORTERS 1.37 11. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (French) DANIELLE GOUNORD, CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY SPOKESWOMAN SAYING: "We are quite satisfied with the decision to clear the Church of attempted fraud. As for the banal case of violating privacy rights, the court could not decide anything else because of the political hysteria around it. We will probably appeal the verdict, that's it. We will continue our activity very quietly and we will exist in France for a long time. We have faith and our detractors will not prevent us from practicing scientology." 2.13 12. WIDE OF COURT WITH REPORTERS 2.18 13. HAS: MARC WALTERS WALKING DOWN STEPS 2.24 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st June 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Reuters ID: LVACXRTNMB0PGTT9W6R9WY45EHI9
  • Story Text: A French court has fined the Church of Scientology
    8,000 euros (US$ 7,300) for violations of civil liberties
    related to personal information records.


    The court fined the Church of Scientology 8,000 euros
    ($7,300) on Friday (May 17), finding it guilty of violating
    privacy rights of former members who said they were harassed
    after leaving the organisation.

    But the court cleared the Church of attempted fraud and
    rebuffed the prosecutors request to shut down its operations
    in the greater Paris area.

    The groups leader in France, sixty year-old Marc Walter
    was also fined 2,000 euros but cleared of attempted fraud and
    false advertising.

    Walter announced he would appeal the verdict, which
    followed a case initiated by a complaint by former members of
    the church that they were harassed after leaving in 1999.

    Olivier Morice, the plaintiffs lawyer, said he was
    satisfied with the verdict.

    "The Church of Scientology in the greater Paris area is
    sentenced and we are satisfied. We should not under estimate
    the symbol of such a decision. The justice has given
    scientology a warning," he said.

    Danielle Gounord, spokeswoman for the Church of
    Scientology expressed her satisfaction with the courts
    decision to clear the church of attempted fraud.

    "As for the banal case of violating privacy rights, the
    court could not decide anything else because of the political
    hysteria around it. We will probably appeal the verdict,
    that's it," she said.

    Gounord added that the Church will continue in France.

    "We will exist in France for a long time. We have faith
    and our detractors will not prevent us from practicing
    scientology," she said.

    Scientology is registered as a religion in the United
    States but classified as a sect in France.

    Scientology, whose U.S. followers include Hollywood stars
    such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta, has expanded in France
    in recent years despite fraud convictions for local church
    officials in Lyon in 1997 and Marseille in 1999.

    Seeking to control the activities of sects, French
    legislators passed a law last year making it an offence to
    abuse a vulnerable person through the exertion of heavy or
    repeated pressure or techniques liable to alter his or her
    judgement.

    Scientology, which has six churches in France and a large
    number of affiliated groups, has threatened to submit a
    complaint against France to the United Nations for violation
    of human rights.

    The California-based Church of Scientology was founded in
    1954 by the late American science fiction writer L. Ron
    Hubbard.

    Its adherents strive to solve personal problems through
    fee-paying analysis sessions with so-called auditors.

    Critics say the church pressures adherents to take
    successive sessions and harass them if they drop out of the
    movement.


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