The Daily Mail has today published a double-page feature on Scientology’s growing influence over the Sussex town of East Grinstead, which is home to the controversial group’s Saint Hill UK headquarters.
Following a 2023 court ruling in which their buildings were designated ‘places of public worship’, the Church of Scientology have been granted “A-rate” visa sponsorship powers by the UK government and last year, issued 21 ‘Minister of Religion’ and ‘Religious Worker’ visas.
Local residents have described East Grinstead Town Council as “shameful” after it accused an activist of “employing bullying tactics” against Councillors and denied a Freedom of Information Act request for a transcript of a recent Council meeting.
The corruption scandal dubbed ‘Cultruption’ East Grinstead are facing has grown deeper as the Town Council attempt to censor victims who have spoken out on the public record… again. Earlier this week, several members of the public attended an East Grinstead Town Council meeting to raise concerns about the growing influence Scientology are having on local government. The public questions portion of the meeting has been censored from its Youtube, the Council claiming it was a matter of “protecting” those who spoke.
Behind the facade of tranquility, the quaint British town of East Grinstead is struggling to recognise a growing concern over Scientology’s influence on the local Council and risks falling foul to a specific form of corruption we’re coining ‘cultruption’.
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.
Mid-Sussex District Council have acknowledged Scientology engages in harassment and intimidation under its policy of ‘Fair Game’. Responding to calls for an investigation into East Grinstead Town Mayor Frazer Visser’s involvement with the church, the Council referenced fear of “reprisals” for speaking out against the group and confirmed “on the balance of probabilities”, such fears “could be well founded”.
Three weeks ago, I raised concerns over Scientology’s attempt to assert control and influence over local government officials in East Grinstead, the home of it’s Saint Hill headquarters. Town Mayor Frazer Visser was criticised by local residents for publicly defending the [continue reading…]
What’s really going on behind closed doors at Scientology’s Saint Hill headquarters in East Grinstead? As pressure mounts on the Mayor and Council executives following revelations of the influence Scientology is having on local politics, we took a moment to speak with those who have lived and worked at Saint Hill.
In this hard hitting documentary, Scientology Business editor Apostate Alex sheds a light on what’s really going on behind closed doors at the Church of Scientology in the UK, featuring a number of personal accounts of fear, abuse and control.
