Franco
Jedi Master
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2012/02/02/french-court-upholds-fraud-charge-and-fine-for-scientology-for-pricey-procedures/
A French court upheld fraud charges and a €600 000 fine against the Church of Scientology in France on Thursday for cajoling members into spending tens of thousands of euros on personality tests, vitamin cures and sauna sessions.
Rejecting the Church’s appeal against a 2009 ruling, the court fined the French branches of the US-based organisation €600 000 for “organised fraud” and gave four of its leaders suspended jail sentences of up to two years.
Five plaintiffs in the case, which dates back to 1998, accused the Church of persuading them to spend tens of thousands of euros on the personality tests, vitamin cures, sauna sessions and “purification packs”.
The ruling that such activities amounted to fraud deals a symbolic blow to the Church, which has achieved recognition as a religion in the United States and other countries but not in France, where a parliamentary report in 1995 classified it as a “dangerous cult”.
“This is very good news for those who fight against cults and it is a serious defeat for the Church of Scientology,” said Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
However, Thursday’s ruling will not lead to the Church of Scientology being banned from operating in France, as prosecutors had originally intended.
A French court upheld fraud charges and a €600 000 fine against the Church of Scientology in France on Thursday for cajoling members into spending tens of thousands of euros on personality tests, vitamin cures and sauna sessions.
Rejecting the Church’s appeal against a 2009 ruling, the court fined the French branches of the US-based organisation €600 000 for “organised fraud” and gave four of its leaders suspended jail sentences of up to two years.
Five plaintiffs in the case, which dates back to 1998, accused the Church of persuading them to spend tens of thousands of euros on the personality tests, vitamin cures, sauna sessions and “purification packs”.
The ruling that such activities amounted to fraud deals a symbolic blow to the Church, which has achieved recognition as a religion in the United States and other countries but not in France, where a parliamentary report in 1995 classified it as a “dangerous cult”.
“This is very good news for those who fight against cults and it is a serious defeat for the Church of Scientology,” said Olivier Morice, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.
However, Thursday’s ruling will not lead to the Church of Scientology being banned from operating in France, as prosecutors had originally intended.
