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”.
The Mayor of East Grinstead, Cllr Frazer Visser, has voiced his support for the Church of Scientology, describing them as “a valued and large part” of the town after receiving a £50,000 cheque for his charity at the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) event earlier this month.
Ahead of the opening of it’s first UK £23mil ‘Ideal Org’ in London in 2006, the Church of Scientology began a campaign to win over the support of local authorities known as ‘safe pointing’. Based on policy written by founder L. [continue reading…]
East Grinstead’s Queen Victoria Hospital, which is renowned for its reconstructive surgery and burns care, accepted a £50,000 donation from the Church of Scientology in October 2017 despite criticism from local opinion leaders. Featured in this BBC News article by John [continue reading…]
