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Irish Times: Auditing to unconciousness

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Rod Keller

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Dec 13, 2002, 8:09:08 AM12/13/02
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Church of Scientology 'coercive'
Irish Times
December 12, 2002
http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/newsreal/Story.nsp?story_id=35101389&ID=newsreal&scategory=Internet&

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology for damages told the High
Court yesterday she was distressed to recall that a man became unconscious
while she was giving him an "auditing" session. She described the church
as "coercive" and "destructive".

Ms Mary Johnston (40), who operates a sports equipment business in
Foxrock, Dublin, said she was giving the auditing session in question in
Britain in 1994. "I am distressed when I think back to how that poor man
went unconscious on me and I was able to click him back. It has bothered
me that I may have caused him harm."

She has sued the church and three of its members, Mr John Keane, Mr Tom
Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan, for damages alleging personal injury,
breach of constitutional rights. Mr Michael Collins SC, for the
defendants, was continuing his cross-examination of Ms Johnston on the
seventh day of her action.

Ms Johnston said she felt she had carried out things on a human being
without having had the medical background to do so. She had done this
through following the commands given by Ron L. Hubbard, the founder of the
church.

Asked about carrying placards outside a Church of Scientology meeting, Ms
Johnston said she believed the church was coercive and destructive and
altered people's perception of reality.

"I defend people's rights to believe what they like, but if people carry
out acts which harm people by taking them away from their families, then I
have a problem with that and have a duty to speak."

Ms Johnston agreed she had told people he church was evil.

She had changed her mind about the Church of Scientology after a meeting
with her family in Edenderry, Co Offaly. She said the church diminished
God as the supreme being.

The case continues today before Mr Justice Peart.

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