Raid at the Scientology Headquarters in Turin: Secret Archives with Information on Sex, Health, and Politics Found

May 20, 2010

Scientology is under investigation by the Turin prosecutor's office. Equipped with a magistrate's warrant, a mobile squad raided the religious organization's headquarters in Turin. According to a report by La Stampa, investigators were looking for the personal files dedicated to members as well as to enemies of Scientology.

For nine hours, police rummaged through the offices located on Via Bersezio. In the basement, hidden behind a locked door, investigators are said to have found secret archives with files on magistrates, policemen, journalists, and relatives of former followers.

Their content is now being examined by the judiciary, however the Turin daily newspaper reports that the files are crammed with sensitive information about sex, health and politics. A4 sheets full of strange acronyms and intelligible only to the cult's ministers, who record on these pages the results of e-meter sessions, a special examination which supposedly enables Scientology to understand the spiritual state of patients.

The suspected offense is related to the violation of the standards for the handling of sensitive data.

[...]Their content is now being examined by the judiciary, however the Turin daily newspaper reports that the files are crammed with sensitive information about sex, health and politics. A4 sheets full of strange acronyms and intelligible only to the cult's ministers, who record on these pages the results of e-meter sessions, a special examination which supposedly enables Scientology to understand the spiritual state of patients. [...]

I hope they don't start carrying away their sensitive files from other locations like ants carrying crumbs to a more secure (secretive)environment.

I wonder why they are only pulling a sting on Torino. Why not all the other orgs in Italy?

secret archives with files on magistrates, policemen, journalists, and relatives of former followers

Scientology in Trouble: Secret Files Discovered in the Turin Headquarters

by Gianni Leone

May 20, 2010

I've always said that Scientology is an organization with little transparency and, for a long time already, I've been speaking out against the activities of this psycho-sect on Italian territory and abroad. For months, I've been demanding an investigation into Scientology's establishments in Italy.

Acting on a warrant, the Turin police have raided the Scientology headquarters in Turin. Guess what came up? In the basement, hidden behind a locked door, secret archives were found with files on magistrates, policemen, journalists (me maybe??), and, of course, everyone Scientology considers an enemy. The files apparently contain sensitive information and photos.

The material is currently being examined by the judiciary. The suspected offense is related to the violation of the standards for the handling of sensitive data.

I continue to formally request, from the pages of this magazine:

* that the competent authorities verify the actual funds and property of Scientology on Italian territory

* that the Ministry of Health perform a verification concerning the "Narconon" communities which charge money for a detoxification method with no scientific value

* that consumer groups campaign against this psycho-sect which operates on Italian territory and practices mental conditioning

* that antitrust authorities take action against the "deceptive advertising" and "press releases" that Scientology spreads over the Internet

I appeal to all honest parliamentarians who know the dangers of psycho-sects to launch an inquiry into the real activity of Scientology in Italy. DO NOT REMAIN PASSIVE.

The problem of psycho-sects touches 1 million people in Italy. It is a very grave problem which must be tackled seriously and firmly.

The original report published on May 19, 2010 by the Turin edition of the daily La Stampa is available online only by subscription, but the text is reproduced on an Italian forum:

articolo della Stampa - “Io e l’archivio segreto sui nemici di Scientology" - free.it.religioni.scientology | Google Gruppi

PDF files of the 2 pages of La Stampa are available here:

http://www.dimarzio.it/srs/modules/m...ntology_52.pdf

http://www.dimarzio.it/srs/modules/m...ntology_53.pdf


The article is quite long and contains an interview with an ex-Scientologist who worked for 8 years at the Turin COS.

Key points:

After his departure, the ex-Scientologist received threats that his secrets and crimes would be revealed. This would be unpleasant, but he hurt many people, did evil things, and has memories that keep him awake at night.

The ex-Scientologist is about 40 years old.

The ex-Scientologist explains that the COS has files containing intimate confessions made by many people, as well as secret files on Scientology's enemies. The latter files are probably kept at the homes of complicit persons.

Examples of enemies for which COS has files are former speaker of parliament Luciano Violante, Prof. Luigi Ciotti, a Milan magistrate, and a father who was trying to free his daughter from Scientology. The investigation method is to find a person's crimes and find a person's enemies. In some cases, paid private investigators were used.

The ex-Scientologist gives an example of a man who was blackmailed by receiving an anonymous envelope containing his personal information, including the fact that he enjoyed wearing women's clothing.

The Turin org's files go back at least 20 years and contain almost 20,000 names, some of persons who only purchased a book. The files kept under lock pertain to staff, to persons who have been audited, and to "special operations".

Luciano Violante is considered an enemy because he publicly attacked Scientology. A fake journalist was sent to interview him and a video was made of statements he made.

Luigi Ciotti has been "studied" because he publicly criticized Narconon.

All information compiled by the Turin COS is translated and forwarded to the United States.

The ex-Scientologist mentions a woman magistrate, a native of Turin, who works for the Milan prosecutor's office. The investigation into her background involved finding her graduate thesis, interviewing her enemies, studying contracts she had given, and many interesting things were found.

The files are mostly used just to provide knowledge about people, but the information is sometimes revealed in print or on the Internet. The objective is to convince an enemy to back away.

One person was responsible for compiling the files and this person was also responsible for salvaging people who blow.

About 700 persons frequent the Turin org. People remain on staff on average 3 or 4 years.

The Turin org's revenues are approximately 35,000 euros a week on average, about a million euros a year.

Asked why he is speaking out, the ex-Scientologist replied, "Because I am ashamed of what I did."

Asked if he is afraid, the ex-Scientologist replied that he fears American Scientologists more than the Italian ones because there have been mysterious deaths.

Maybe they will and are just watching the others closely for now?
I imagine their files are like gold to them and would rather attempt to hide them first rather than destroy.
If only they'd gone for the paperless office approach with offsite (and offshore) encrypted storage.

According to a report by La Stampa, investigators were looking for the personal files dedicated to members as well as to enemies of Scientology.

For nine hours, police rummaged through the offices located on Via Bersezio. In the basement, hidden behind a locked door, investigators are said to have found secret archives with files on magistrates, policemen, journalists, and relatives of former followers.

Their content is now being examined by the judiciary, however the Turin daily newspaper reports that the files are crammed with sensitive information about sex, health and politics.