Family blames Scientology for daughter's death

[Jerome]

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Norwegian press is reporting that Kaja Bordevich Ballo, aged 20, the daughter of Norwegian MP Olav Gunnar Ballo, committed suicide two weeks ago after taking a Scientology personality test. The family blames the Church of Scientology for her death and decided to go public with the story, after the test along with the results and a suicide note were discovered after Kaja's death.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Family_blam ... %27s_death

[J. Swift]

I have a theory. I think that the Scientology registrar, or "reg" was so greedy to get a new celebrity into Scientology that he or she pushed Kaja Ballo past her breaking point. The regges wanted the "stat" tp help salvage a collapsing cult. Scientology's Personality Test process is, by design, psychologically engineered to use manipulative techniques to break down a person's will to say no to Scientology.

This is yet another area where Scientology's greed blinds the Cult to any notion of human kindness or decency. Instead of seeing a deeply troubled Kaja Ballo and referring her to medical professionals, Scientology sees her wealthy father's money, her trust fund, and her PR value. Scientology is wanting to distance itself from the Kaja Ballo suicide, but the evidence points to a brutal reg cycle that "caved in" Kaja. As L. Ron Hubbard infamously said of Scientologists:

"We would rather have you dead than incapable."

*****
Kaja Ballo was the daughter of Norway's PM. In a Scientology awash in globally negative media, Mr. Ballo's daughter would have been a PR goldmine for the Cult to exploit. Scientology is celebrity-obsessed per L. Ron Hubbard's "Project Celebrity" that ordered Scientologists to focus intense efforts on celebrities. This was Hubbard's way of stealing the glory of others even as he stole the valor of WWII combat heroes by claiming false combat medals.

*****
Scientology's goal at the first interview with a new person is to not educate or inform; it is rather to find their ruin. This is done using a test called the OCA. However, the OCA is generic. The real power is in a skilled Scientology interrogator discussing the test results in a way that gets a person talking about their problems. In other words, this is the scam as a fake psychic who talks in generalities until a gullible person volunteers personal information. The Scientology interrogation that follows the OCA test is, in my experience, brutal and degrading. The new person is "Raw Meat" who has money. The goal of the Scientology interrogator is to sell Scientology by breaking down a person's will to say no. At minimum, the reg has to sell a book. They have to get some blood out of the Raw Meat. At maximum, the Purif, 2-3 Intensives of Life Repair, and an LRH Library and Audio Congresses are sold for somewhere around $15,000 -- $25,000

*****
Once a person's ruin is found, that weak point is hammered away at mercilessly by a Scientology reg with lines like, "You are in danger and only Scientology can help you," or "Time is not your friend when you are in your Reactive Mind." I know because these statements were said to me during my grueling first reg cycle-cum-sec check. I have always hated Scientology for this initial interview and I felt too obligated to walk away because an important client had asked me to check out Scientology. I was a single young professional in Los Angeles with money in the bank. I would have been by Scientology as being "upstat" and being in "affluence." Yet, all Scientology did was to use mind-fuck techniques to break me down and extract money from me. I was mentally tough, but I can see how a troubled young person would be seriously disturbed by the inherently psychotic, even sadistic, Scientology registration process.

*****
The Karmic Vortex bears down upon Scientology with great fury. Let us pray Kaja Ballo is the last person that Scientology fatally harms with its brutal Personality Test process.

////

[Don Carlo]

Mabye Kaja said "no" and got CoS curses as she walked out the door - that she'd go crazy, or commit suicide. Apparently she didn't sign up for a course (someone should check this).

I hope they can find other people like Kaja who took the personality test and walked out of that org without signing up. They could testify what CoS registrars said, and if there was intimidation and abusive threats. It's possible that threats like "you'll commit suicide" could be extortion, and "only Scientology can help you" could be fraud.

There may be no French law against giving the test, or scaring a young woman, or shouting curses, but the National Assembly could pass a new law against giving psychological tests without a trained psychologist to interpret them. Plus, CoS should lose any tax deductions because it is destructive and uncharitable.

[Dunvegan]

Considering the Ballo name is very well known there, what chance they did an iron-hard sell/cave-in when they thought they had their hands on the daughter of the MP/physician that was influential re. Narconon (huge cash cow, and to Scientology, relatively low profile to the current storms.)

I think it's reasonable to investigate whether or not the reg saw "Ballo" and went ballistic on that lovely young woman who was just seeking answers.

CoS may have wanted her for her influence, her ability to influence her father, and (tragically) in the worst possible way.

[Don Carlo]

I agree that Kaja may have gotten an unusual amount of abusive pressure to join. CoS dreams of the next big celebrity catch that will solve all their problems. Perhaps they thought Kaja could force her father, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, to join CoS or face disconnection. Then he'd get his political allies to join CoS and pass laws and proclamations favoring CoS. Then he would supposedly stop www.xenu.net, a Norwegian website. This is delusional but CoS is swimming in delusion.

[songbird]

erome, it wasn't two weeks after the personality test that Kaja committed suicide. It was a few hours afterward.

DC,
I also misread Jerome's post at first -- note the "ago."

The Norwegian press is reporting that Kaja Bordevich Ballo, aged 20, the daughter of Norwegian MP Olav Gunnar Ballo, committed suicide two weeks ago after taking a Scientology personality test.

What a tragedy this is. Anyone who has ever personally experienced an intense reg cycle will understand exactly what happened here. The end of this greedy, exploitative cult cannot come one moment too soon!

[Don Carlo]

Right. I corrected my post about the two weeks.

[Whitedove]

I totally agree with JSwift on this.

I said this before and I say it again. Kaja was imo at least depressed. And unlisted, please this is not said in a degrading manner whatsoever.

On the contrary. I suffer from an anxiety disorder. I know people who have suffered from depression. Although I didnt suffer from deep depression, I also suffered from it before my anxiety got under control. Having a mental illness is not something to be ashamed of. The only ones that degrades those that suffer from that are ignorants and uneducated and have preconceived idea without having a clue how a person that is depressed or have another mental illness feels inside.

So, I might not have a phD but I sure know a thing or two about this.

$cientology does not believe in mental illnesses and look the kind of tragedy it can bring. It reminds me of Lisa McPherson. She definitely had a breakdown and instead of being treated with actual medical professionals, she was put in a room and died.
Jeremy Perkins suffer from schizophrenia. He stabbed his mother to death because his mother was a $cientologist who tought psychiatry is bad and evil. This is so sad

They are idiots who put people life in danger.

They have NO rights whatsoever as regard to the mental field. NONE WHATSOEVER.

[Don Carlo]

We need the script for the personality test! An ex-registrar from a French org could help by listing the canned responses in French or English to Kaja's scored test.
Here is one "script" that is highly damning:Scientology's Personality Test - One Woman's Results. It looks there are twenty questions for Trait A,* and if your responses give you an overall "3," that gives you the result A3. CoS's scripts tell the evaluator to give a particular attack phrase, "Unstable character," in response to the A3 result. Here are more scripted attack phrases, which I have colored red.

A3 unstable character
B4 extremely dejected, depressed and unhappy
G4 completely irresponsible
H4 You lash out verbally or mentally...malicious and mean
I4 cold blooded and heartless
J4 badly withdrawn

from
http://www.scientology-lies.com/fraud/o ... sults.html

The evaluator is instructed to recommend Scientology as the only viable remedy for such problems.

If the org indeed had no record of Kaja signing up for a course, that means she said "no." If CoS's canned response for saying "no," is "you'll probably kill yourself" then the case is made that this test and bullying led to the suicide.

Comments are welcome from ex-regs or recent personality test takers.

*According to Chris Owen, there are ten traits, A through J, each with twenty questions. See http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/oca.html

Here are the 200 questions, with the "Right" answers, at
http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/

[Knusern]

The mood in Norway is not good for the scios right now.
People that know me, but never cared one way or the other
about Co$ . Have started to get engaged, asking about this and that.

The amount of media attention is HUGE, and it is all BAD for Co$.
Matias Fosse is facing a shitstorm from all sides and cant say annything
other than the same old robotick crap that he always sprouts.

[Roadrunner]

We need the script for the personality test! An ex-registrar from a French org could help by listing the canned responses in French or English to Kaja's scored test.
Here is one "script" that is highly damning:Scientology's Personality Test - One Woman's Results. It looks there are twenty questions for Trait A,* and if your responses give you an overall "3," that gives you the result A3. CoS's scripts tell the evaluator to give a particular attack phrase, "Unstable character," in response to the A3 result. Here are more scripted attack phrases, which I have colored red.

A3 unstable character
B4 extremely dejected, depressed and unhappy
G4 completely irresponsible
H4 You lash out verbally or mentally...malicious and mean
I4 cold blooded and heartless
J4 badly withdrawn

from
http://www.scientology-lies.com/fraud/o ... sults.html

The evaluator is instructed to recommend Scientology as the only viable remedy for such problems.

So, I actually have no recollection of that.

If the org indeed had no record of Kaja signing up for a course, that means she said "no." If CoS's canned response for saying "no," is "you'll probably kill yourself" then the case is made that this test and bullying led to the suicide.

Seems to me that the girl must have had problems before doing such a test. Filling in a test and hearing someone interpreting it does not actually kill. It needs more.

Comments are welcome from ex-regs or recent personality test takers.

*According to Chris Owen, there are ten traits, A through J, each with twenty questions. See http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/oca.html

Yes.

Here are the 200 questions, with the "Right" answers, at
http://www.xenu.net/archive/oca/

Get this, there are no right answers. It simply is not constructed that way. The columns are interpreted in relation to eachother.

Also there were 4 calculation sheets. Females 14-18, over 18, Man 14-18, over 18.

Regards,
RR

[Ball of Fluff]

Not a bad theory, J Swift.

I'd be very interested to know what did happen...how many appointments or calls she got. The hounding can be relentless.

Perhaps her folks and/or the police can check her cell phone records and see if there were a lot of calls from the cult, prior.

I'd also be interested to know what else was going on in her life.

[Don Carlo]

French police should ask the Church of Scientology org in Nice:
(1) which workers in your org, or from other Scientology groups, talked to Kaja face-to-face
(2) did Kaja interact with any org worker before the date of the personality test, and if so, what was the nature of the interaction
(2) what documents they used to test Kaja
(3) what documents or memorized guidelines they used to evaluate Kaja
(4) who did Kaja tell about her eating disorder and other mental problems?
(5) did anyone ask Kaja whether she'd taken psychiatric drugs?
(6) if Kaja had taken such drugs, what did the worker tell her about the so-called harmful effect of these drugs?
(7) was Kaja shown a document about confidentiality?
(8) what documents did Kaja sign?
(9) did Kaja see a video or film inside the org?
(10) did Kaja buy or refuse further courses and/or books?
(11) if Kaja refused, what did the worker(s) say about Kaja's mental future if she refused Scientology?
(12) who called or visited Kaja afterward, if anyone
(13) has anyone at the org associated with Kaja left the org or the city?

When the police go to the org, they could bring a government official in charge of minimum wage and overtime violations, and have that labor official also question each org worker that handled Kaja:
(1) how many hours did you work the week of Kaja's death?
(2) how much were you paid that week?
(3) was your pay based on statistics of revenue and recruitment?
(4) can I see your employment contract?
(5) do you have a second job outside Scientology? (This is important for the "vow of poverty" claim)

The Vow of Poverty claim is false: CoS staff contract says that all Scientology workers are members of a "Scientology Religious Order," so CoS wants them to think they are religious workers taking a vow of poverty. However, regular staff are given freedom to work at another job. That's inconsistent. Monks taking a vow of poverty don't also get a paycheck from a bistro down the street. Furthermore, worker's paycheck is based on revenue/recruitment statistics. This turns the org job into a unspiritual fight for commissions. Finally, true vows of poverty mean that the person renounces possessions, and org workers have possessions.

The labor official could ask the org's treasurer:
(1) do you consider your workers to be employees, volunteers, or contractors?
(The org will probably claim the staff are "volunteers" but a labor official should be able to determine if they are just exploited "employees.")
(2) do you pay minimum wage to employees/volunteers/contractors/whatever they are called?
(3) please show your procedures or manual for paying workers.
(4) did your paychecks to workers depend on weekly statistics, the week of Kaja's death?
(5) could I see the pay records, the week of Kaja's death, for Kaja's test-giver, evaluator, and any other worker who talked to her (to see if the persons had an incentive to hard-sell Kaja).
(6) how much did your org send Scientology headquarters the week of Kaja's death? What percentage of your revenue did you send?
(7) Did the org workers get paid under minimum wage the week of Kaja's death, even though there was money to send to Scientology headquarters?
(8) Was the org was behind in their rent and bills the week of Kaja's death? It seems intrusive, but if the org is desperate, it could mean they were especially hard-selling Kaja.

There are probably recording devices in the audit rooms, so workers who think they are being recorded by CoS may lie out of fear. Workers may even think their CoS superiors can read their minds, so they may be inhibited near the org. The police should sweep the room for devices or interview the person elsewhere.

The police must get a copy of every document, and tape-record every interview, since the org will evade and even lie if it thinks it can get away with it. If the police catch the org in a lie, there's a new crime: obstruction of justice.

Any pattern of law-breaking that the police or labor official finds could bring down the Church of Scientology in France.

The French Parliament passed a law (the About-Picard law) in 2001 which (its proponents declared) aimed at repressing the excesses of groups infringing human rights and fundamental freedoms. The law makes it possible to prosecute organizations (rather than just individuals) for a number of crimes already represented in the criminal code; in the case of established criminal behavior by an organization, courts may disband the organization. Legislators rejected a provision criminalizing "mental manipulation", included in early drafts, because of concerns about the vagueness of this notion.

from the "France" section of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cults_and_governments

Ideas for possible charges of law-breaking behavior:
1. Calling the Oxford Capacity Analysis a "psychological test"= fraud, since it is a recruitment tool.
2. Presenting the Oxford Capacity Analysis as a scientific test = fraud.
3. Telling Kaja she was unstable, etc.= providing a medical diagnosis = practicing medicine without a license.
4. Promising only CoS can help with mental illness = fraud, since CoS can't practice medicine without a license.
5. Revealing Kaja's confidential medical secrets = violating confidentiality
6. Haranguing and bullying Kaja to buy books and/or courses with threats of mental breakdown = extortion.
7. Minimum wage and overtime violations (It's trivial compared to Kaja's death, but it would be some justice. Underpaid and desperate workers cause much of the hard-selling abuses of Scientology). Perhaps there is a legal theory of "poison fruit" or "pernicious influences" that strengthens the case against minimum wage violations.

Unfortunately, the French Assembly might have to pass a law against untrained people giving and interpreting a psychological or pseudo-psychological test as a lure into a group. and then prosecute CoS in the future. I'm not a lawyer, and of course know little of French law. But maybe there may be some justice for Kaja.

Can someone fluent in French translate this and send it to the police in Nice? Thanks.

[SuzanneMarie]

French police should ask the Church of Scientology org in Nice:
(1) which workers in your org, or from other Scientology groups, talked to Kaja face-to-face
(2) what documents they used to test Kaja
(3) what documents or memorized guidelines they used to evaluate Kaja
(4) who did Kaja tell about her eating disorder and other mental problems?
(5) did anyone ask Kaja whether she'd taken psychiatric drugs?
(6) if Kaja had taken such drugs, what did the worker tell her about the so-called harmful effect of these drugs?
(7) was Kaja shown a document about confidentiality?
(8) what documents did Kaja sign?
(9) did Kaja buy or refuse further courses and/or books
(10) if Kaja refused, what did the worker(s) say about Kaja's mental future if she refused Scientology?
(11) who called or visited Kaja afterward, if anyone
(12) has anyone at the org associated with Kaja left the org or the city?

When the police go to the org, they could bring a government official in charge of minimum wage and overtime violations, and have that labor official also question each org worker that handled Kaja:
(1) how many hours did you work the week of Kaja's death?
(2) how much were you paid that week?
(3) can I see your employment contract?

The labor official could ask the org's treasurer:
(1) do you consider your workers to be employees, volunteers, or contractors?
(The org will probably claim the staff are "volunteers" but a labor official should be able to determine if they are just exploited "employees.")
(2) do you pay minimum wage to employees/volunteers/contractors/whatever they are called?
(3) please show your procedures or manual for paying workers.
(4) did your paychecks to workers depend on weekly statistics, the week of Kaja's death?
(5) could I see the pay records, the week of Kaja's death, for Kaja's test-giver, evaluator, and any other worker who talked to her (to see if the persons had an incentive to hard-sell Kaja).
(6) how much did your org send Scientology headquarters the week of Kaja's death? What percentage of your revenue did you send?
(7) Did the org workers get paid under minimum wage the week of Kaja's death, even though there was money to send to Scientology headquarters?
(8) Was the org was behind in their rent and bills the week of Kaja's death? It seems intrusive, but if the org is desperate, it could mean they were especially hard-selling Kaja.

Any pattern of law-breaking that the police or labor official finds could bring down the Church of Scientology in France.

The French Parliament passed a law (the About-Picard law) in 2001 which (its proponents declared) aimed at repressing the excesses of groups infringing human rights and fundamental freedoms. The law makes it possible to prosecute organizations (rather than just individuals) for a number of crimes already represented in the criminal code; in the case of established criminal behavior by an organization, courts may disband the organization. Legislators rejected a provision criminalizing "mental manipulation", included in early drafts, because of concerns about the vagueness of this notion.

from the "France" section of
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cults_and_governments

Ideas for possible charges of law-breaking behavior:
1. Calling the Oxford Capacity Analysis a "psychological test"= fraud, since it is a recruitment tool.
2. Presenting the Oxford Capacity Analysis as a scientific test = fraud.
3. Telling Kaja she was unstable, etc.= providing a medical diagnosis = practicing medicine without a license.
4. Promising only CoS can help with mental illness = fraud, since CoS can't practice medicine without a license.
5. Revealing Kaja's confidential medical secrets = violating confidentiality
6. Haranguing and bullying Kaja to buy books and/or courses with threats of mental breakdown = extortion.
7. Minimum wage and overtime violations (It's trivial compared to Kaja's death, but it would be some justice. Underpaid and desperate workers cause much of the hard-selling abuses of Scientology).

Unfortunately, the French Assembly might have to pass a law against untrained people giving and interpreting a psychological or pseudo-psychological test as a lure into a group. and then prosecute CoS in the future. I'm not a lawyer, and of course know little of French law. But maybe there may be some justice for Kaja.

Can someone fluent in French translate this and send it to the police in Nice? Thanks.

Was Kaja an illegal pc?

Could they have said, I'm sorry, but we can't help you?

[PTS]

When I read this sad story, this Creepy scientology orientation video came to mind.

" If you leave this room after seeing this film, and walk out and never mention scientology again. You are perfectly free to do so. It would stupid, but could do it.
You can also dive off a bridge or blow your brains out. That is your choice."
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vFD39zktU ... re=related