Sect suspected of inappropriately using sensitive personal data
(ANSA) – Turin, May 20 – Police raided a local Scientology chapter here and discovered a hidden archive which contained not only information on the group’s members but also on the sect’s ‘enemies’, the Turin daily La Stampa reported on Thursday.
Police were acting on a warrant issued by magistrates who have opened a probe into the religion which is suspected of violating laws governing the handling of personal information.
According to La Stampa, police searched the chapter on Via Bersezio for some nine hours and in the basement, behind a locked door, found the sect’s secret archive which had files on magistrates, policemen, journalists and relatives of former members.
La Stampa said magistrates were now examining these documents which were “chock full” of sensitive information dealing with sexual habits, health and political inclinations.
In 2000, the Italian supreme Court of Cassation recognised Scientology as a religion but said it was organised as a business and thus subject to taxation.
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Note
Religion News Blog often files news about the Church of Scientology under the subject of ‘hate groups’ because Scientology has a lengthy history of hate- and harassment activities.
The cult’s unethical behavior is inspired in part by founder L. Ron Hubbard‘s policies, including practices known as Dead Agenting and Fair Game.