From: jensting@imaginet.fr (Jens Tingleff) Subject: LYON TRIAL French Press report 2/10 [Xenu] Date: 1996/10/02 Message-ID: organization: ARSCC Operation Clean the Planet newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology [Summary/piecemeal translation of article of the day in connection with the trial in Lyon of 23 clams. From Liberation, liberal/leftish French daily French original in single quotes. Comments/unclear points in square brackets. Apologies for my French, gotta get a dictionary one of these days... For "sect" you may do well to read "cult"] Au Deuxieme jour, les scientologistes recitent leur lecon 'On the second day, teh scientologists recite their lesson' Bernard Fromentien Liberation 2/10 -96, page 13 Copyright 1996 Liberation [picture of Jean-Jacques Mazier next to police officer and photographer] Same format as the two last days: article about today's progress in court and a general interest article. The size keeps increasing, to the point where a whole page is being used - up from 2/3 on the 30 Sept ======================================================================= On the first day of the trila, J-J Mazier presented himself as a "man of the church." Today, his personel has repeated the statements about religious activities in order to push out any questions about methods, about finances and about the international aspects of scientology. All statements centered on their own history as church adherents and left no impression of the possible circumstances in which Patrice Vic would have been driven to suicide. [Discussion of individual witnesses:] Alain Barou 31, who becmae a course supervisor two months after having answered a personality test. He outlined [?, 'esquive'] the training he had received. A communications course tauht him to "take care of students and permit them to refer to the writings of LRH." He was not paid, but handed out varying amounts - 2000 FFR to 4000 FFR per month. he described sauna sessions, running courses, taking vitamins "to raise himself spiritually and hunt out toxins." Laurent Quoisse 28, former treasurer of the Lyon org entered via the personality test, took a comms course and a course in applied scientology, paying 900 FFR. With a loan quaranteed by his mother, he paid 55500 FFR for a purification sure. In 1986, he trained as an auditor in Copenhagen, historical base of scientology in Europe. He explains the transfer of funds abroad as being motivated by "the spirit of brotherhood which animates the various church centes in the world." Ghislaine Huet testified as to how endebted members could work off their debt to the church by working for her. She admitted ['reconnait'] to have done telemarketing in the Manhattan Languages ['Mahattan Langues'] company. In teh following days, examination of the accounts will expose certain financial methods of the sect to be examined. On this point, as well as on the point of the organisation of the sect, auditing of individuals ['l'audition des parties civiles'] will allow for a less angelical view [ presumably of the cult ;-) ] ======================================================================= Le sens de mot secte est juridiquement indefinissable 'The meaning of the word sect is legally undefinable' Francois Devinat Liberation 2/10 -96, page 13 Copyright 1996 Liberation [Discussion of the measures suggested by the minister for Youth and Sport, Guy Drut. Following the parliamentary report of february this year, the minister has taken initiatives to inform young people about the dangers of sects. The bulk of the article is an interview of Jean Bauberot, director of the group of sociology of religions and secularity ['groupe de sociologie des religions et de la laicite']. Jean Bauderot finds that the issues raised by the minister are important, but searches for a more 'balanced' viewpoint. He wishes to avoid witch-hunting and wants a discussion of more general qquestions about collective morals versus minorities rights. He discusses a radical leftish youth group which recommended disconnection (presumably some time ago). All in all, he takes a very cautious, scholarly view. He welcomes questions on the 1901 law [the one making France a secular state, I believe], but would like a more legally welldefined approach than simply going after "cults" - whatever that is... He mentions as good examples, mediation centres as found in the UK as means of discussing cult phenomena without degenerating into witch-hunting. H feels that society should accept that some peoiple want to go outside the norm, and that society should ask itself why that is. ======================================================================= Comments: Can't wait for the prosecution to start piling up evidence ;-) The article in 'Le Progress' mentioned in another posting had much more meaty information. Those purif rundown sure are expensive... Later Jens ------ No PGP signature, no authenticity. Vive La France!! ---------- Scientology[tm] ?? Check it out at http://www.scientology.org *and* http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/home.html Report interesting conclusions to alt.religion.scientology ;-)