Irish Examiner, Dec. 4, 2002: Woman was "psychologically injured" by Scn
Bat Child (Sue M.)
http://www.online.ie/news/irish_examiner/viewer.adp?article=1896461
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Woman was 'psychologically injured'
The Irish Examiner 04 Dec 2002
By Vivion Kilfeather
A woman who claims she was brainwashed by the Church of Scientology is
suing for damages. Dundalk-born Mary Johnson, 40, who has a sports
equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, is also suing three members of
the church: John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan.
In the High Court yesterday, Sean Ryan SC for Ms Johnson, said she was
"sucked in" by the organisation which brought her under its control
and influence.
She was recruited to the church in 1992. Efforts were made to prevent
her leaving the organisation, to silence her and to devalue her. The
court was also told efforts had been made to intimidate her and to
prevent her suing.
Mr Ryan said the court would be introduced to a language of psycho
religous-mythical scope and expressions and words with no meaning
other than being defined as Scientology.
Ms Johnson had suffered psychological, psychiatric injuries, panic
attacks and post traumatic stress disorder, together with loss of
short term memory and that condition had been exacerbated by the
subsequent illegitimate conduct of the defendants.
The story began in 1992 when Ms Johnson was emotionally upset after
splitting with her boyfriend. She knew one of the defendants, Tom
Cunningham, a member of the Church of Scientology, who introduced her
to "dianetic auditing" of form of amateur psychoanalysis.
Mr Cunningham continually suggested Ms Johnson should go to the
church's Dublin mission in Middle Abbey Street and have a personality
test so that she could become involved in Scientology.
The tests involved money and Ms Johnson was not well off. Under
pressure she signed up for a "purification run down" an introduction
to the church at a cost of £1,200.
Ms Johnson was required to do a medical examination and was sent to a
scientolgist described as a doctor. She spent long periods in saunas
and was told this was purification. People such as this were described
as "raw meat" by L Ron Hubbard, the church's founder. In March 1994,
she started a "Hubbard Dianetic Auditing" course in Dublin and
continued at Saint Hill Foundation in Britain.
In December, a team of recruiters from Saint Hill came to Dublin and
she was asked how she was going to further her studies. She said she
could not afford further payments and was told she should go to her
friends or sell her business.
She gave another £100 deposit for a course on a ship in the Caribbean
and subsequently signed a contract for one billion years to work for
Scientology.
When Ms Johnson got back to Dublin she was subjected to ever more
intimidation.
She left the Church in 1994 after being a member for two years.
The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, is expected to last about two
weeks
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Beacon
From: "Beacon" <openm...@mydeja.com>
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,sci.skeptic
Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2002 2:16 AM
Subject: In the Irish News: Co$ sued - So what's new?
http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1203/scientology.html
December 3, 2002
(20:03) A Dublin woman who claims she was controlled by a cult has
begun a High Court legal action for damages.
40-year-old sports shop owner Mary Johnson from Westwood, Foxrock, was
a member of the Church of Scientology for two years between 1992 and 1994.
She is now suing the organisation because of the experiences and
pressures she claims she suffered while a member and the threats and
intimidation when she tried to leave.
In the High Court today her lawyer Sean Ryan said the evidence in the
case will show how she was sucked into the organisation and subjected to
processes and procedures which brought her under its control and influence.
It is claimed she suffered psychiatric and psychological injuries and
post traumatic stress disorder.
She was introduced of Scientology in 1992 when she was upset after a
relationship break-up.
In court Sean Ryan described the language of the organisation as
psycho-religious-mythical expressions that have no meaning other than that
defined by scientology.
Audio links may be gone by now :
http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1203/newsatone/news1pm4a.ram
http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1203/1news/1news3a.ram
http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1203/6news/6news8a.ram