Woman "imprisoned" on Scientologist ship for 12 years - Polidicks

[url]http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/woman-imprisoned-scientology-cruise-ship-12-years-145114448.html[/url] [release]For most people, an extended stay aboard a luxury cruise liner sounds like a dream vacation. But Valeska Paris says she was held against her will aboard the Scientology cruise ship "Freewinds" for more than a decade. During her stay on the vessel, she alleges, she was forced into hard labor and never allowed to leave the ship without an escort. In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC News) Lateline program, Paris claims that Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige sent her to the ship when she was 18 in order to prevent her family from pulling her out of the organization. "I was basically hauled in and told that my mum had attacked the church and that I needed to disconnect from her because she was suppressive," she said. "He decided the ship, and I found out two hours before my plane left, I was woken up in the morning and I was sent to the ship for 'two weeks.' " Paris was born into a Scientology family, but her mother quit the group after her husband committed suicide, blaming Scientology for coercing him out of a self-made personal fortune of more than a million dollars. Instead of the promised two week stay, Paris found herself unable to leave the ship without an official Scientology escort and was often forced into hard labor on the lower levels of the ship for stretches as long as two full days. "It's hot, it's extremely loud, it's smelly, it's not nice. I was sent down there at first for 48 hours straight on almost no sleep and I had to work by myself," she said. So, why didn't Paris simply escape from the ship when it would take port? The Freewinds has a relatively small sailing route, traveling throughout the Caribbean and occasionally docking at small islands. "I did not want to be there, I made it clear I did not want to be there and that was considered bad ethics, meaning it was considered not right," she said. "They take your passport when you go on the ship and you're in the middle of an island. So it's a bit hard [to escape] and by that time I was 18, I'd been in Scientology my whole life, it's not like I knew how to escape," she said. The Church of Scientology calls Paris' claims false but declined ABC requests to make church officials available for interviews for the story. The church, which has a well-known litigious history, threatened Lateline with legal action for taking part in an alleged breach of confidentiality between Paris and the church. In a statement, the Church of Scientology said Ms Paris' claims were false. "She certainly wasn't 'forced' to be there. She was also never forced to perform labor in the engine room," the statement said. "The Freewinds is a wonderful place, as even Valeska said on numerous occasions. Her allegation that she could only leave the ship with an escort is totally false."[/release] What. The. Fuck.

Freewinds: come for the hospitality, food, and piety; stay because you can't leave.

I bet Anonymous is going to have a field day with this sort of news.

Been a while since I heard anything about Scientology. Glad to see they're still up to their over obsessive ways forcing their 'religion' upon others and allegedly kidnapping, murdering, enslaving, and basically taking away peoples rights as human beings. But the ship has to make port some time. Why couldn't she escape after 12 years? Surely she knew every nook and cranny on the ship.

Wouldn't surprise me, Scientoligists or whatever the fuck are completely insane.

sounds like something out of a movie

[QUOTE]But Valeska Paris says she was held against her will aboard the Scientology cruise ship "Freewinds" for more than a decade[/QUOTE] Oh the irony :v:

so how did she escape?

[quote]The Church of Scientology calls Paris' claims false but declined ABC requests to make church officials available for interviews for the story. The church, which has a well-known litigious history, threatened Lateline with legal action for taking part in an alleged breach of confidentiality between Paris and the church.[/quote] "it's not true but we aren't willing to give any evidence that it isnt. you'll just have to believe us. cmon. you trust us media, right?"

I was reading a book about the (honest) history of Scientology and they're a messed up organization. I read that they basically formed their own private navy so that they could completely control the people aboard without having to follow laws, like they'd have kids without an education

[QUOTE=CakeMaster7;33508793]I read that they basically formed their own private navy so that they could completely control the people aboard without having to follow laws, like they'd have kids without an education[/QUOTE] Primary education is compulsory with the UDHR, why haven't they been arrested for crimes against humanity?

Can we [I][B]please[/B][/I] fucking label them as a dangerous cult now? Or at least arrest the leaders? Or maybe get NATO or the UN or someone to investigate / raid the ship to see if anyone else is there against their will?

[QUOTE]Paris was born into a Scientology family, but her mother quit the group after her husband committed suicide, blaming Scientology for coercing him out of a self-made personal fortune of more than a million dollars.[/QUOTE] [B]Fuck[/B] these assholes!

[QUOTE=Hidole555;33509569][B]Fuck[/B] these assholes![/QUOTE] Even I have standards you know...

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;33508545]"She certainly wasn't 'forced' to be there. She was also never forced to perform labor in the engine room,"[/QUOTE] Only "strongly encouraged."

So [B]this[/B] is why people hate them.

Somebody sink that ship.

Reading stuff like this makes me want to punch David Miscavige so hard in the face.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;33510284]Somebody sink that ship.[/QUOTE] There honestly might be more people aboard it. :c Bad idea.

[QUOTE=Last or First;33509476]Can we [I][B]please[/B][/I] fucking label them as a dangerous cult now? Or at least arrest the leaders? Or maybe get NATO or the UN or someone to investigate / raid the ship to see if anyone else is there against their will?[/QUOTE] We kind of can't for the same reason that corporations are people. They're operated by a bunch of greedy people with A LOT of money.

[QUOTE] "She certainly wasn't 'forced' to be there. She was also never forced to perform labor in the engine room," the statement said.[/QUOTE] I lol'd cause the article never said she was in the engine room until that point, though I'm sure it was mentioned in her official allegations. "No, no she definitely was not forced to work in the engine room on the big boiler on the left."

Was it these guys who renovated the ship and thought asbestos wasn't dangerous? I remember reading something like that before. Heh, I just realised something. If it's correct what I read, all these morons will die horribly from lung cancer. LOL

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p014_SzpmiM[/media] Tom Cruise's response.

My father worked in a cult rehabilitation center when I was younger... met some interesting "Religious Folk" scientoligists included, some of them changed their legal names for fear of retaliation from the "Church".

[QUOTE=asteroidrules;33509942]So [B]this[/B] is why people hate them.[/QUOTE] And to make it worse, this is only the tip of the iceberg.

[QUOTE=Ninja Duck;33510757][media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p014_SzpmiM[/media] Tom Cruise's response.[/QUOTE] I wonder how much they pay him to say that. [editline]30th November 2011[/editline] Well not this but what he normally says.

Not saying I support Scientology, but don't label Scientologists as psychos because of this. There are (some) perfectly sane Scientologists (on land) who feel that this religion helps them live better lives. (while paying ungodly amounts of money)

[QUOTE=Hiccuper;33511131]Not saying I support Scientology, but don't label Scientologists as psychos because of this. There are (some) perfectly sane Scientologists (on land) who feel that this religion helps them live better lives. (while paying ungodly amounts of money)[/QUOTE] Based on what I've heard and read about this dangerous cult I find that rather hard to believe.

My dad once told me that he helped break a woman out of a Scientologist building in Downtown LA. They were keeping her there and someone hired my dad to help get her out. He is a lawyer but the only real way to do it was to barge in and drag her out from their clutches. I always had trouble believing him, but reading this makes me more likely to.

This place in Hamburg always sends me chills up and down my spine whenever I walk past it: [url]http://g.co/maps/d994q[/url] I hope I never have to encounter or deal with anyone affiliated with the owners of that building ever.