Karen#1
Well-known member
Alexander Barnes-Ross
East Grinstead Town Council have once again refused to meet with local residents who claim they were abused at the Church of Scientology’s headquarters in the town and are concerned about their close relationship with the Mayor and other Councillors. However in a first for the town, the East Grinstead Town Clerk has acknowledged their concerns, telling us they “have been heard”.
In late 2023 it was revealed the then-Mayor Frazer Visser had established a cosy relationship with Scientology and had attended several events at their Saint Hill headquarters nearby, even accepting a £50,000 charity cheque at the annual gathering of the International Association of Scientologists (IAS) in November that year. A protest calling for greater awareness of Scientology’s abusive practices made national headlines and campaigners called on the Mayor to reconsider his decision to attend local events. In the months that followed, former Scientologists and concerned residents used the public questions time at two Council meetings to raise their concerns, only to be redacted from the meeting minutes and published video recordings.
The following April, the Daily Mail published a double-page spread exposing the Council’s close relationship with Scientology, questioning whether it was appropriate for several former Mayors to accept their invitation to attend a red carpet premiere of Mission Impossible and snap photographs with Tom Cruise, despite residents’ concerns and numerous allegations the group are involved in abuse, human trafficking and modern slavery.
In response to a request for documents under the Freedom of Information Act, East Grinstead Town Council subsequently labeled an ex-Scientologist whistleblower a “vexatious bully” and has refused to apologise, despite backlash from “furious” residents and the Information Commissioner ruling the request was not vexatious. This, along with the censorship of any mention of Scientology raised during Council meetings, has led to growing fear among local residents that the local government has fallen victim to ‘safe pointing’ – Scientology’s policy of building relationships with decision makers and opinion leaders in order to influence decisions and control the public narrative about them.
Council refuses to meet Scientology victims, but says they’ve “been heard” - Scientology Business News - lawsuits, financial records and shell companies
