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.
Mid-Sussex District Council internal emails reveal Scientology used its close ties with former East Grinstead Mayor Dick Sweatman to interrupt protest plans at the recent Saint Hill IAS event. Tony Ortega reports…
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’.
Former Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has written to the United Kingdom’s tax office (HMRC) calling for an investigation into the Church of Scientology and their finances, claiming “Scientology has a history of fraudulent activity internationally”.
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”.
With Scientology leader David Miscavige officially announcing the much-anticipated “Golden Age of Administration” at the 2024 New Years event last weekend at the Shrine Auditorium, the stage has been set for what he describes as a “new era of expansion” for the controversial group. However, a closer look at leaked statistics paints a vastly different picture and suggests Scientology is in fact going through an era for which ‘Dark Age of Mass Contraction’ would be a more fitting title.
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.
