The Mayor of East Grinstead, who is currently under fire for attending a number of Scientology events at their Saint Hill headquarters, has asked victims of abuse to refrain from speaking up about their experiences.

In December, Scientology Business published an open letter to East Grinstead Mayor Cllr. Frazer Visser, asking for him to reconsider his continued support of the Church of Scientology, which has its UK headquarters in the town, known as Saint Hill. The letter contained links to video testimonials submitted by 11 individuals who have worked, lived or spent time at Saint Hill and includes a number of harrowing accounts of child abuse, rape and hard manual labour.

The Mayor refused to respond, so at an East Grinstead Town Council meeting earlier this week, I asked him to clarify what the Council are doing to protect people, and especially children, from abuse at Saint Hill. After turning to the Town Clerk for advice, he deflected responsibility claiming “The Town Council isn’t the right authority for that, but if you do have any questions or concerns, then you can raise them through the official channels, the Clerk and then we can take that up with West Sussex, who can take that up on your behalf if you wanted to.”

In response to the meeting, I emailed Cllr. Visser today seeking clarity on whether the concerns raised in December were indeed referred to the appropriate authority, only to be asked to refrain from discussing the matter on social media in a move eerily reminiscent of Scientology’s policy of silencing critics and former members.

Below is the email chain.

11th January 2024
From: Alexander Barnes-Ross
To: Cllr. Frazer Visser, East Grinstead Mayor

Dear Mr. Mayor,

On Monday I raised a question at the East Grinstead Town Council meeting, and the Clerk responded by saying if you were made aware of any allegations of abuse, or potential safeguarding issues, they would be duly reported to the relevant authorities as appropriate. 

I first contacted you in November, making you aware of some of the things that are going on at Saint Hill, and on December 5th I contacted you sharing some of my own story, with links to the testimonial of 11 others who have suffered abuse at Saint Hill. 

As noted in the meeting, the Town Council are not the authority who deal with safeguarding concerns, but in line with your response that any concerns raised would be forwarded to the relevant authority, could you please confirm who these concerns were raised with when I first contacted you back in November/December? As I am yet to receive a reply from you or your secretary.

Many thanks

Alexander Barnes-Ross MCIM

The Mayor’s response fails to address, or apologise for, his previous lack of communication. The questions he asks makes it clear he has decided not to review the information submitted in December’s open letter.

11th January 2024
From: Cllr. Frazer Visser, East Grinstead Mayor
To: Alexander Barnes-Ross

Dear Mr. Barnes-Ross,

Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me, both through your email and at the Full Council meeting on Monday night. I know sharing personal matters publicly can be a difficult undertaking, and I appreciate your courage.

I take your concerns very seriously, both as your Councillor and as Mayor. While East Grinstead Town Council (EGTC) cannot directly address matters of a legal or police nature, we are committed to helping you find the necessary support and resources.

Before offering specific assistance, I’d like to clarify a few points about my role. As Mayor, I serve as a non-political and impartial figurehead representing all residents equally. This means I cannot use my office for legal or political matters, but I can certainly help you navigate towards the appropriate channels for addressing your concerns.

To best assist you, I would be grateful if you could answer the following questions:

1. Have you previously or recently reported these concerns to the police or any official safeguarding authorities, such as West Sussex County Council?

2. Do these concerns pertain to historical events or are they related to current issues?

3. Do you have any evidence to support your concerns? (Please do not share any details at this time)

Finally, as these are delicate matters, I kindly request that you refrain from discussing them on social media or public platforms. Doing so could inadvertently complicate the process of connecting you with the proper help.

Thank you again for reaching out to me. I will do what I can to support you in finding the right channels for your concerns.

Your sincerely,

Cllr Frazer Visser

Town Mayor

In response, I referenced Mid-Sussex District Council’s recent recognition of Scientology’s ‘Fair Game’ tactics and urged the Mayor to proceed with caution when attempting to silence ex-members.

11th January 2024
From: Alexander Barnes-Ross
To: Cllr. Frazer Visser, East Grinstead Mayor

Dear Mr. Mayor,

Thank you for your reply. 

As I’m sure you can appreciate, due to your continued affiliation with the Church of Scientology and the number of events at Saint Hill you have attended during your time as Mayor, I do not feel comfortable sharing any further details with you, beyond what I have already sent in the form of email statements and video testimonials.

On Monday, you and the Clerk assured me that if the Council were to become aware of any such issues, they would be dealt with appropriately and referred to the relevant authority. 

The questions in your email below suggest you haven’t even taken the time to even review the personal stories I shared with you last month. Am I right in assuming therefore, that this hasn’t been referred to the appropriate authority?

With regard to social media, I find your request upsetting and quite frankly, misjudged considering Scientology are known for their practice of ‘Fair Game’, which aims to silence and muzzle its former members and critics. 

Mid-Sussex District Council recently issued a statement in which it was agreed concerns of harassment and intimidation were “well founded on the balance of probabilities”, and acknowledged Scientology’s attempt to stop people speaking publicly about their experiences. In the future, may I suggest you might wish to exercise caution in your approach when attempting to censor or silence former Scientologists.

Alexander Barnes-Ross MCIM

A petition recently launched on Change.org calls for East Grinstead to review its continued relationship with Scientology and has been signed by over 1,000 people. Although the Mayor and his Council are not necessarily directly involved in the alleged abuse, by attending events at Saint Hill, accepting charity cheques and suggesting victims stay quiet, they are playing a key role in enabling Scientology’s activities to continue.

It is time for change.

You can watch a recap of Monday’s Town Council meeting below.

UPDATE: 21:45 GMT, 11th January 2024

The Mayor has responded with an apology for ‘causing discomfort’, claiming his request to stay silent was for ‘respecting your privacy’ and ‘adhering to GDPR regulations’. GDPR is the data protection laws that dictates how organisations must handle personal data in the United Kingdom and Europe.

He went on to claim his attempt to censor victims was ‘solely for your protection, aiming to preserve potential evidence in case the situation necessitates further investigation’.

11th January 2024
From: Cllr. Frazer Visser, East Grinstead Mayor
To: Alexander Barnes-Ross

Dear Mr. Barnes-Ross,

I understand you may have reservations after our previous interaction. Please accept my sincere apology if anything I said caused discomfort. My sole intention was to offer my best support, respecting your privacy and adhering to GDPR regulations.

I haven’t shared any details with anyone yet, prioritizing your confidentiality. However, to fully assist you, I require your explicit consent to share your emails and case information with authorities like WSCC and/or the police, should you choose to pursue that path.

My previous mention of social media was solely for your protection, aiming to preserve potential evidence in case the situation necessitates further investigation. In such an event, I may be restricted in sharing information, but I’ll keep you informed every step of the way.

Remember, I’m here to help in any way I can. My own capabilities may be limited, but I can try to connect you with others who can offer further support. As a Town Councillor I have no extra influence with WSCC or the Police and would be reporting this normal channels.

To best assist you, please respond with your decision regarding sharing your information with the relevant authorities.

Thank you for your understanding.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Frazer Visser