A Strange “victory” - Johannes Aagaard

All over the world Scientology has sent messages to the press that they were victorious in Paris, since the former chairman of Scientology in France Georges Andreu was set free by the court of appeal. He had in court been sentenced to one year in prison and had to pay 3,000 F.

When one looks at the factual court-decision this victory, however, changes its format. It is true that the young chairman was set free, but the reason for that was the fact that he became a chairman of Scientology at the age of 21 and hardly had any important influence on the policy of Scientology - that policy which is not at all “set free” in the verdict of the court.

In the statement from the court it is explicitly stated that sentences given to the other convicted persons are upheld, meaning that Lafayette Ron Hubbard himself got 4 years in prison and 35,000 F as a fine, Henry Laarhuis got 3 years in prison and 15,000 F as a fine, and Jacqueline Valentine got 2 years in prison and 10,000 F as a fine.

The obvious conclusion of the decision in court is that the verdict concerning the abuses of Scientology is upheld, but that the young chairman was set free because of lack of real influence on the policies of Scientology.

It is a well-known fact that Scientology prefers very young and inexperienced top-leaders, probably because the real leaders behind the curtains can then do their job without much interference from those who seemingly “run the show”.