According to several former members of the Scientology church, the organization may be covering up sexual abuse claims by victims.

What is Scientology?

Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices that was invented in the 1950s by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, which has been referred to both as a religion and as a cult. The group is centered on the belief that each person’s mind is reactive to the traumas that occur during life, and that these traumas affect and cloud the analytic mind.

According to Scientologists, a clouded analytic mind keeps humans from experiencing reality, so “unclouding” the mind and reaching a spiritual level referred to as “clear” is a top priority. This involves members going through a process called “auditing,” in which members of Scientology must submit to being questioned about their sources of trauma in order to relive these experiences and deprive them of their ability to distract the mind as a form of therapy.

Scientology has often been the subject of ridicule for many of its beliefs, including its claims about alien life on Earth being destroyed by thermonuclear weapons 70 million years ago, but some say that the organization has caused actual harm to some of its members, including children.

During the auditing process, a device called an E-meter is supposedly used to measure the body’s electric flow during questioning regarding past trauma. According to Scientologists, this treatment is preferable to traditional psychology or psychiatry, as the organization views these fields as sources of evil.

Although Scientologists claim that the organization is a legitimate religion that is centered around a search for self-improvement and individual growth, many medical professionals have spoken out against Scientology, claiming that the organization’s beliefs about mental health and psychiatry may be harmful to members.

Additionally, many former Scientologists have accused the organization of perpetrating and covering up sexual abuse of minors, and its members of not actively working to prevent it.

Cases of Scientology sexual abuse

Several former members of Scientology have spoken out after leaving the group about abuse that they claim occurred during their time in the organization. These accusations at times echo allegations against officials in other organizations, such as the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal.

One former member says he was subject to years of abuse as a teenager involved with a subset of Scientology known as the Sea Org. The anonymous accuser claims that he was abused by several adult members of the Sea Org beginning when he was twelve and continuing for six years. According to him, this abuse became worse when he was sixteen and was sent to the Rehabilitation Project Force (RPF), Scientology’s forced labor and rehabilitation program for those who are perceived to have violated the organization’s expectations and policies, which has been compared to a prison or gulag system.

He claims that adults and minors at the RPF were housed together, resulting in him being placed in the same block as a man who was at the RPF for abusing another minor.

The victim filed his complaint against the Scientology church with the Clearwater Police Department in Florida. The department is believed to be investigating the claims and attempting to obtain files from the church that may contain evidence regarding the alleged abuse. However, the department has notably come under fire for being too close to or even enabling the organization following episodes of the Emmy award-winning Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath A&E series, per the Tampa Bay Times.

Another former member of the Scientology church, Jennifer S., claims she was assaulted approximately 100 times as a teenager by the Scientology supervisor she was forced to live with.

Jennifer says that she moved in with Gabriel Williams, a church supervisor in California, at the age of 16. Over the next two years, she claims the man abused her and convinced her that if she went to the police, she would be sent to a psychiatrist and, as a result, be unable to achieve spiritual freedom. Additionally, she claims that he threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the abuse.

A third victim who has filed charges against the church and its leader claims that after she left the church due to multiple instances of abuse beginning when she was in kindergarten, she was subject to a campaign of harassment and retaliation from the organization. The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous out of fear of additional harassment, claims that the church has followed and surveilled her, vandalized her property, bullied her with hundreds of spam phone calls, and even cut the brake lines on her vehicle.

In addition to her allegations of abuse perpetrated by multiple Scientologists, she also claims that church officials knew of the incidents. However, as it is believed to be a high crime for members of the church to report another Scientologist to law enforcement, she claims that she was punished for coming forward with the accusations. Instead of her abuser being held accountable, she claims that she was sentenced to several months of hard labor by church officials, as well as being reassigned to the Sea Org and separated from her family.

More recently, alleged victims of Scientology church abuse have encountered difficulties in seeking justice. The third alleged victim who filed her sexual abuse lawsuit against the Church of Scientology dropped her claims in June 2020, reports Tampa Bay Times.

According to the news source, the unnamed victim did not drop her claims in stating that her abuse did not occur. Rather, she says that her legal team was unresponsive, and she received a “disappointing” update from the Clearwater Police Department about how the department was investigating her abuse complaints. She told the Tampa Bay Times that the combination of these two factors led her to drop her claims.

Valerie H., another alleged victim who filed her claims against the church also encountered road blocks in her attempt to seek justice, says the Tampa Bay Times. The church had fought her complaints, saying that she should not be allowed to sue because she had signed arbitration agreements throughout the years, which should prevent her from filing lawsuits. 

Valerie fought back against these allegations, saying that she signed these agreements under coercion and distress, so these agreements should be considered invalid. She also pointed to the “strikingly broad scope” of the agreements, saying that their breadth should make them unenforceable.

Nonetheless, Judge Richard J. Burdge, Jr. had said that Valerie had not sufficiently argued that the arbitration agreements were unenforceable. Based on this determination, he did decide to throw out the claims and scheduled a 2021 post-arbitration. Valerie has once again fought back, asking for the judge to walk back this decision and allow her to continue to pursue her claims against the Scientology church.

The Church of Scientology has also been hit with litigation over California wage and hour violations. Plaintiff Laura D. claimed in a 2009 lawsuit that, as a teenager, the organization demanded she work more than 100 hours a week for pennies an hour. She was also abused and was forced to have an abortion, her lawsuit claimed. The organization eventually reached a settlement agreement with Laura.

Scientology and media attention

Scientology has received media attention and scrutiny for several reasons, including allegations of abuse and brainwashing.

Actress and former Scientologist Leah Remini has been especially vocal with her claims against the church. Her Emmy Award–winning docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath airs on A&E and seeks to bring attention to the allegations against the organization.

According to Remini, the church uses millions of dollars to bully, harass, and silence former members who dare to speak out about their experiences with the organization.

How has the Scientology church responded to sexual abuse claims?

The Church of Scientology has addressed Remini’s docuseries, calling her claims absurd and accusing her of spreading salacious lies in an attempt to promote religious intolerance. The church has also created a website dedicated to attempting to discredit Remini, where numerous accusations against the actress’s character have been listed. However, the church has failed to produce credible evidence to dispute her and others’ claims.

The church has also denied claims from other victims, calling them liars and dismissing their complaints as vile, false, or made with the intent to perpetuate religious discrimination and hatred. In one case, the church accused a victim of having previously filed a false police report. However, no public records supporting this accusation have been located.

Recovering from Scientology church sexual abuse

Former members of the Scientology church who survived sexual abuse have added hurdles when it comes to recovery, says an expert interviewed by Insider. Therapist Rachel Bernstein reportedly specializes in the treatment of those who survived abuse while in cult-like situations, which she says includes things like NXIVM and Scientology.

Bernstein has worked with former members of Scientology and currently works with eight former members of NXIVM, a sex cult that worked under the guise of a multi-level marketing scheme, Insider reports.

Bernstein told reporters that, in addition to recovering from the abuse, survivors from cult-like situations experience fear, loss, and guilt when they leave the organization where they experienced the sexual assault and abuse. She says that they must learn to regain trust in themselves and their instincts — feelings that they have been forced to suppress.

According to the therapist, survivors must be allowed to build trust with therapists slowly and on their own terms.

“They’ve had their trust abused by the person in the position of authority, so they’re going to be very nervous about you then taking advantage of them and controlling them,” Bernstein told Insider. “When they walk in the room, there’s often this worry that now they’re forfeiting their power and they are going to kind of take you through your paces, which I actually invite them to do.”

In addition, survivors must also be allowed to develop their independence, says Bernstein; she reportedly will work with a client for up to two years to minimize the chance of codependency.

A lack of boundaries and a tendency to defer to those in perceived authority are also hurdles that someone who experienced abuse in Scientology may need to overcome, the therapist told Insider. Ultimately, reports Bernstein, the goal is to teach the survivor how to process and accept their emotions, good and bad, about the past and going forward.

Compensation for Scientology sexual abuse victims

Those who have suffered from Scientology sex abuse whose claims were dismissed by organization officials may be able to file an individual or class action lawsuit against the church. Although the church has never been held responsible for alleged cases of sexual abuse, several lawsuits have been filed against the organization and its leaders over the past several years.

A number of states have recently expanded their laws regarding sexual abuse claims, including California and New Jersey, allowing survivors more time to come forward. Even if your abuse took place years or decades ago, you may still be able to file a lawsuit under your state’s expanded statute of limitations or a look-back window.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation for pain and suffering and more.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.