Re: For My 3 Children, Give Me My Money! (testimony of an ex-scientologist)
[15 Aug 1997]

Pushed by the sect, Claude Junqua made a declaration of forgery documents (invoices manufactured by scientologists) to her bank in order to borrow money to become Patron donor of Scientology (through remittance of 40,000 dollars to the sect).

Main Index A.R.S. Web Summary Ex-Scientologists Speak

From: astudent@top.university.org (A. Student)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology
Subject: Re: For My 3 Children, Give Me My Money! (testimony of an ex-scientologist)
Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 03:47:18 GMT
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On Wed, 13 Aug 1997 01:19:25 +0200, Mickael Tussier
<mickael@mymail.com> wrote:

>A. Student wrote:
>
>> Very well. That is much faster for me that way too. However, if
>> there are pages you wish translated from French to English, or Italian
>> to English, or German to Englsh, please post those links. I will be
>> happy to translate them and post them to the ARS, at which point they
>> can be retreived and stored as needed. It does take a lot of time to
>> complete these translations by hand, but it is worth doing because it
>> adds new viewpoints and ideas to the discussions. If you entrust me
>> with this task, I promise to do my best to make sure the translations
>> preserve the original character of the message, while also placing the
>> communication into the proper English format.
>
Well, thank you for the translation in English of "The Scientology --
is it a racist sect?"

Here is the testimony of the experience of a French ex-scientoloist
who worked in the French center and the center in Copenhagen. Pushed
by the sect, Claude Junqua made a declaration of forgery documents
(invoices manufactured by scientologists) to her bank in order to
borrow money to become Patron donor of Scientology (through remittance
of 40,000 dollars to the sect). She was finally stopped and charged
with forgery, swindle, complicity of forgery and swindle. It was the
slap that woke her up!

After having left Scientology, Claude Junqua began to ask for a refund
of her money from the sect. Scientologists reacted in a particularly
odious manner. To get her money back, she went on a hunger strike at
the local of the church of Scintology of Paris, and she received a big
reinforcement from the media thanks to coverage from television chain
Antenna 2. The scientologists ended up cracking, they repaid her the
sum of 400,000 French francs.

Here is the complete narration of her testimony.

----------------------------------------

For my three children, give back me my money!
Source: Bubbles of the 4th quarter 1989.

Claude Junqua tells of her experience with the Scientologists

On Sunday, September 3, 1989, in front of the cameras of Antenna 2
(later renamed to France 2), viewers discovered the incredible story
of a 29-year old woman who, over the course of a week, engaged in a
hunger strike before the seat of the church of Scientology, in Paris.


«For my three children, give back me my money», said the
placard that she fixed on her car... to choke this business,
the Scientologists repaid her the four hundred thousand francs they
had extracted from her. Claude Junqua tells more below about her long
and sad adventure.

In the years 1980-1981, while I was a student of Fine Arts at
Toulouse, a friend lent me a book by Ron Hubbard, the Dianétique.
I was hung completely and seduced by the technical work of auditing.

At the mission of Toulouse where I surrenderd for the first time, a
member, an employee of Scientology of Angers announced there would be
an experiment conducted using the technique exposed in the book during
a seminary of two days.

Only, for two hundred francs I could «audit» and improve the faculties
of myself and others thanks to the auditing experience. I decided to
join the seminay in Angers.

At Angers, during the first break, one of the participants who
belonged to the seat of Copenhagen approached me with a contract to
sign that would make me a member of that organization. The person
bragged about all the advantages that come from working at the heart
of the organization. So, I signed the contract.

Departure for Copenhagen

Thinking of the journey far away from France, the free life I would
live in a hotel, the food assured and, especially, the promise to
become «clear»... I was seduced.

I signed the contract and arranged that within three weeks I would
complete my business in France. But that same day, I had already
signed a contract to work for Angers: the two organizations argued
over who would get me. Then, the director of Angers decided: «You will
be a supervisor, we have some need here». That was my first big
disappointment. I didn't dare rebel, since I was the first to make it
directly into that position, and the director remarked in front of
everyone that it was near impossible for him to get me that
assignment.

Finally, it was decided that I would work at Angers but would be
trained in Copenhagen where I planned to disembark. Was I surprised
with what I found in Copenhagen! Instead of a hotel, I slept in a
dormitory... instead of good food, I found a refectory where I was
permitted only twenty minutes for nourishment. I left all starved as a
result.

But the courses pleased me and brought a lot of satisfaction. At the
end of the second month, they were finished. Someone proposed that I
could do a little auditing as a reward. At that moment, the director
of Angers called me with an extreme emergency. His supervisor had
just run away. All disappointed, I nevertheless obeyed and returned
to Angers.

Return to Angers

There, at Angers, I met a boy from Pau that had a situation similar to
mine [he would later become my husband]. My post became very heavy to
support! Very quickly, I was in disagreement with my «tenor»,
hierarchical superior, because of stress that she me made undergo
while pushing me to do things against my will. But, since no one in
the group rebelled, I thought that my reactions were not normal.

The post that I held gave me the right to have one daily period for
auditing; I began the procedure «purification» that is supposed to
eliminate the harmful effects of all drugs and medicines.

The stress became intolerable. For example, to manage to eat
sufficiently in quality and in quantity, to support work «on station»,
and to support hours on her «purif»... For 10 at 12 hours of work per
day, my salary was fifty to two hundred francs per week, with only one
day off. In spite of all it, I made confidence and had good results.

Financially, I found it bizarre that with all millions that went in
every week to the mission, invoices were paid with delay,
and there were difficulties with this order. But I didn't put in doubt
their honesty. I met their demands for involvement to palliate these
difficulties and so I accepted to distribute prospectuses in all the
city, in addition to my usual work.

I remember having been obliged to distribute tracts, while I was 8
months pregnant, loaded down with enormous sacks. If I had
refused, I would have been treated like a pestiférée, stake «in
ethics» (a section of Scientology that is supposed to apply justice),
where one's fate of reinstatement hinges on acceptance by the group,
while executing thick physical works, and, of course, being paid less
well, in truth not at all.

First tentative departure

I was, therefore, not too happy on my post, nor with my auditing. My
boyfriend was having similar boredoms, so we decided to leave together
in expectation of our future marriage.

And we left, destabilized by what we had lived, without goal, precise
on what we were going to do. We felt guilty of not acting to save the
planet. And, thrown back by Angers, we left. At that moment though, we
were persuaded that the past problems came from us.

Again, I expressed my wish to become an auditor, since Ron
Hubbard designated those people as being the most valid of the
planet. Against my better judgment, I was asked, once again, to take
the supervisor's post. The director took us to talk in his office
and said: «Good, it is well, you got married, but seeing the context,
I ask you to not make a child for this instant...». We were
blown away by this speech, my husband and I.

Of course, I was encouraged immediately, at that moment, it had been
decided that I would receive the auditing for a pregnant woman
immediately. That auditing, once again, didn't work. The person
responsible explained then that nothing could work if I was not not
«ethical»... As they didn't know what to do with me, within fifteen
days of childbirth, they asked my husband to take me out for some air.


After my childbirth, without problem, a member of Copenhagen,
proposed to us that we go to work in Denmark, giving me the hope that
I would become an auditor. «If you want it indeed, he said, you will
have it». Disappointed hope again: They put me into the supervisor
position and I worked to their rhythm even though I had just given
birth ten days before. Yet, even in Scientology, it is a rule to give
a complete month to the mom. That month had been promised me!

Second tentative

We are in 1983. The situation became intolerable: we decided to flee
since we didn't have the authorization to leave freely. We escaped
one night, all three! We moved to the countryside of Pau. My husband
found work and I myself was occupied by my two children... In 85, we
were thrown back again by a person of Copenhagen telling us that one
needed us, that the direction had changed... I was not very excited
about the idea, yet us there returned. I took the supervisor's post...
once besides, I went up on course.

I began to note the difference between the reality and the theory. Our
employment was miserable, with only one half-day of liberty per week!
We lived to an infernal rhythm, under the pretext that it was
necessary to act quickly to save the planet. While being able to, I
decided to go to France. I was trapped for the third time. I left my
husband and children behind.

When I arrived in Pau, my friends sheltered me and I found work. My
husband and children rejoined me and we decided firmly to convert to
public members. However, we always believed 100% in Scientology. We
again had the same culpabations and the fact that we had not
succeeded, we could only conclude the problems came from us.

Beginning of loans

In '86, my husband started his own business. Being in a state of
rupture with the Scientology, we sent all money each month to
Copenhagen to keep us from being put into quarantine.

At this point we stopped being «members of the personnel» and began a
no less perilous period as «members of the public». As a public
member, you can work on the outside, possess a fortune, and command a
very good salary.

When the news that we wanted to become public propagated itself, two
members of the church of Scientologie of Angers came to see us. But,
we had loads of debts and didn't have the means to buy services as
much as other publics. It was then decided that we would borrow the
funds.

As I had never done that before, two members of Angers came with me to
the bank. Their readiness seemed to me at the time normal, seeing the
short time remaining for us to save the planet. For us, it became
obligatory to become members of the IAS (International Association of

Scientology).

The IAS's goal is to collect large sums of capital to defend against
attacks of which the churches of Scientology were the object. One
could be a yearly member or a life member. One could also be a «boss»

(by making a grant of 250,000 FS). One encouraged us briskly to
become members for life. That gave us greater privileges and more
consideration. A map to life cost 12,000 F. It was necessary to
borrow 24,000 FS in more of the loan to repay our debts. I had my
third child. Our business failed.

I had committed the mistake of saying, in Denmark, that I thought I
had reached a certain level in the auditing. That brought me, by the
end of '86, the visit of one member of the AOSH (loaded organization
to deliver auditing to the publics) to tell me that, a process had
just been exactly put to the point to verify the state «of audit».

This process was sold at a promotional price... For twelve hours and
one half of preparation for auditing and for the five hours foreseen
by the process, I only had to give 25,000 F. That was the ideal
carrot! I managed, in agreement with my husband, to reassemble
the funds. This «process» had to last ten days only. I prepared for my

journey. I left my husband with the two eldests and took the the last

of ten months along with me.

They would all be ready to welcome me when I arrived. Being a «public»
and a member of the IAS, I thought that the red carpet would be rolled
out under my feet, as one had let us hear this was the treatment of
members of the public.

Disappointment! There was no one to welcome me... No room for
me and no room in the nursery as it was agreed. I finished by having
to pay the price of gold for a dirty room with a missing key. There
was no file for me. Being public, I dared to ask and to express my
discontent. It was put to me like this: I paid in advance (those who
pay in advance receive a discount of 5%). I passed on by the sponge,
while being told it was only of the material details.

At the end of five days, stuck in the waiting room, I learned that I
could get the process that I hoped... But, I had to first receive one
of a level lower. It was a cold shower, but I was obliged to go
through that. Ten days passed. At the end of five weeks, I still had
not obtained the promised result, and besides, I could have borrowed
as other publics did -- more in the range of 40 to 50,000 F.

Pressed like a lemon

Having big moments of idleness, I decided to buy a small course to
occupy the time. I was so wrung out that I paid without realizing that
the course was in English. But, I was depressed so that I didn't think
about asking for a refund.

While at AOSH, I was pushed to borrow so that I made my decisions
alone and quickly. I was pressed like a lemon, without even getting a
receipt. Separated from my husband, and my two eldests in a foreign
country. Everything that contributed to that, now, I call
«manipulation».

At the end of five weeks, my husband, seeing that I was stuck in an
infernal vicious circle, persuaded me to come home. But persons
responsible didn't want me to leave, telling me that it would be
dangerous for me to stop the progress in the process of the road. But
I left.

When I arrived in France, I loudly alerted members at the Scientology
of Los Angeles; I believed there was a true justice in Scientology.
The events that took place thereafter ended up undeceiving me. It
didn't occur to me at all to ask for justice outside of Scientology.

But I began to have some doubts: «Could there be manipulation
? Abuse of confidence? Swindle?...».

In October 87, we were informed that an international convention
of IAS would be held in Paris to unite all Scientologists. News of
the expansion of Scientology would be given to us. The good
news only, because one only gives the good news; or then,
the bad when they need our financial contribution.

During the convention, a Scientologist gave a briefing on how
miraculous the role (?) of «boss» is in IAS, mentioning people's
cases, who, once bosses, received honors or had, as by magic gains of
all kinds. My husband was touched. As for me, the, director of the
AOSH throws it back over to me while telling me that it was serious
for me to remain with an incomplete process. He put his finger on the
appreciable point, affirming for me that it could be finished in very
little time.

I was in such a psychic state, so upset, that it was absolutely
necessary for me to get this audit. The director let me hear that the
result would be immediate. Of course, it would only cost 10,000 FS for
five hours. I battled to have the money, but this time, I took my
precautions: I would only travel there for three days. And I wouldn't
give one cent besides. I purchased as return ticket by plane dated to
be sure to quit and just enough money for three nights of hotel. All
this was well also with my husband.

Upon my arrival, I spent to the cash-box, and the treasurer made me
sign a paper, without anything to explain what the money was for or to
give me a copy of the receipt. I was so obsessed to know that from
here in five minutes, I will be with my auditor whom could stop my
death as well, and... I wait. I waited... three days. I was furious,
shattered, but powerless. Three hours before my departure by plane,
the auditor came to look for me; and once alone with him, I cracked
completely - I said: «I must leave» - then the auditor, a deputy
director, and two other members that passed by there took me in an
office and tried to persuade me to remain. They tried everything to
make me bend, wanting even that I phone my husband; it was very hard
to resist, but I got out of there and left with all speed - I didn't
even think to make them repay me.

From the dream to the nightmare


Shortly after my return, my husband, his interest in the state of
«boss» having been peaked at the convention, two members very highly
placed in IAS came to see us to help us to achieve this dream - you
will see that this dream quickly became a «nightmare» - that even
turned into a hell... But again, we thought that, for the moment, if
we didn't participate in one manner or another with the actions of the
Scientology, we would be damned. All our experiences had confimed our
fact, we thought, that our troubles could be cleared by the
possibility of the «boss» state, that we as members could benefit from
the occurrence.

The two shrills of the IAS then revealed to us the plan that goes with
all bosses. It would be necessary to take out loans again if we wanted
to be active immediately. I went to Paris where the two members of IAS
had put everything in order so as to guide me in my operations. The
path of banks to contact was established, my standard file was ready
with invoices manufactured, for the opportunity, by other
Scientologists (in my case, there were invoices for an art course
delivered by a Scientologist who managed a graphics school).

They made sure I was informed about the existence of «ready studying»
that was fashionable in Paris at that time. I sped along in all
innocence, not thinking for an instant that of the Scientologists
could do some illegal things.

The police mingles...

In one month, I collected 250,000 FS, the price of a boss's map. I
made visits to all agencies. The first times a member of the IAS came
along with me to show how it was necessary to do this mission. I had
moments of discouragement, I wanted it all to stop, but every time he
caught me regonflait and put back me on the rails. The last week, I
went there by strength - intuitively, I felt an imminent danger
hovering over me. In the morning, my bank, contacted me and asked me
to come down. I go there and two inspectors of the judicial police in
civilian arrived. They searched me and took me to the station
where I join up with three other Scientologists.

I was not worried because I did not see that what I did that was
illegal. It was December 16, 1987. After three days on duty to view I
appeared before a judge who charged me with forgery, swindle,
complicity of forgery and swindle. I was sidérée.

Fortunately, my prejudiced husband, contacted a lawyer that helped me
explain my experiences with exactness. The judge then put me under
judicial control with an interdiction to leave Paris and an
interdiction to avoid any communications with Scientology.

Judged by... the Scientologie

The IAS immediately gave me back the 250.000 FS to repay the loans
for studying. In July 1988, my innocence having been proven, the
judicial control was raised and I could once again correspond with
AOSH. I then asked the 80.000 FS for the «process» that I never had,
and the repayment of the course in English. In spite of all my calls
over the telephone, I remained unknown by Scientology. They judged me,
without my presence, by representatives of their justice, of a
«committee of evidence».

They even wrote that I had to be expelled from their churches and
repaid. To this day, I have affirmed and have confirmed their total
bad faith.

Since the first moment, they dropped me - I have realized that the
only thing that interested them was my potential finances, and my
physical being and state of mind. Indebted once, ruined, destabilized,
from one day to the next, no one yet again contacted me. I am a
pestiférée that has caused harm to the group and, as by chance, no one
worries about my mental well-being whereas before, it fascinated them.


Scientology repays parsimoniously

I decided to go ask elsewhere for help then. In October '88, I had
nowhere else to go. After many telephone calls and mail in Denmark and

in Paris, and especially after spending a lot of energy and money for
the telephone, and stress, I received 60,000 FS from AOSH, the
ministry commented about my public call makings on the place, and they
were afraid. I repaid some of the bank debt, and we battled very hard
- fortunately our family helped us.

Shortly before that repayment, I decided to address the ADFI after
many hesitations because, in Scientology, members of the ADFI are
passed off as monsters, whose only goal is to prevent the
«clarification» of the planet and therefore the expansion of
Scientology.

I had some nightmares that if I went there, while trembling. I would
fall off a very high place but instead found people who were
judicious, quiet and understanding. The person responsible for the
ADFI gave me back my confidence; finally, I was no longer alone, I
begin to breathe, I found the strength to fight until the end to get
some semblance of reason, because it is a very lonely feeling to fight
alone against a sect.

Hunger strike kicks Dunkerque

It started to exhaust me to get the remainder of the repayment. I
telephoned, I wrote .. but nothing worked. On August 23, I had, for
the first time, a crisis of nerves, or I let all to fall, or I get the
remainder - but I had no choice, the banks were having to make
allowances. I lost my appetite and sleep. In a state of shock, I
decided to continue like that and start a hunger strike to recover my
funds. I didn't warn anyone - my goal was to make a noise and finish
this.

I never bathed before in such as state of anguish as I had at that
moment. On August 24, I crossed France alone by car, in a miserable
physical state. On August 25, I settled along the sidewalk on the
street of Dunkerque, with a pointer to a drawing on which I had
written: for my three children, give back me my money! Not more than
two minutes later, the chairwoman of the church came out and told me
«Claude hello, you got thinner! (sic), what are you doing here?». She
tried, but I refused to go into the local for a coffee with her. She
tried several manipulations on my personality (they call it the
fingerings), she tells me among others: «that rhymes with what,
Claude, that, movies, everything that one is going to make, I'll call
the police and they will make you leave». I answer: «Call them, I
have things to tell them».

On August 27, not having achieved anything so far, I settled in my
car, in front of the church of Scientology, putting on every window
«hunger strike».

Before, I had put myself in agreement with the rules of the police of
the district. While I waited in anguish. I knew well the techniques
of the Scientologists. I knew they prepared an attack. Indeed, at the
end of some minutes, a police car stopped.

I showed the policemen my papers, the receipt of my declaration, and I
can remain. C.W. (chairwoman), with a lack of courtesy, demanded,
daring to believe: «Hey, why don't you make her leave?», and to that
they answered: «No, this lady is in rule». A passerby mingled and
mused then: «Is it true this that one says, there are swindlers in
there? » C.W. ignored him. I was way too tired to answer it myself.
Then C.W. lays it on «me introvertir» with heaps of terms scientos,
thinking that I will react. Again, I answer, again, with an obvious
quietness: «You can howl, but what I am doing is legal, I ... won't
leave the place without my money». I spent another day of anguish but
continued to hold onto the promise.

Antenna 2 and the capitulation of Scientology

On Monday morning, my husband joined me and the war of nerves
continued. In the evening I had to have 80.000 FS, nothing arrived. On
Tuesday, the same thing happened and there were many reasons to be
discouraged and time was running short. On Tuesday evening, I had an
uneasiness. Some firemen took me, it amused some Scientologists (my
husband saw it made some laugh). On Wednesday morning, I was all over
again there sent C.W. an ultimatum: «So Thursday, 14 hours, when I did
not have the check, I warned the medias». Several journalists waited
for our signal. On Wednesday evening, I received a ridiculous sum
consisting of five small checks (not even 20,000 FS). On Thursday, at
ten o'clock, the journalist of antenna 2 told us that he would be
sending us a team.

... The neighborhood sustained us, Antenna 2 came at 14 o'clock. C.W.
sent out other checks (60,000 FS in five or six small checks). I made
the transaction in a bar on the corner, because as soon as I might
enter the local, I would make myself available «to handle». When it
came time to give the last check, C.W. told us: «Now, with all that
managed ... you could send a letter to recommended to Antenna 2 that
they annul the report because you have as much interest as us that
this business doesn't become known».

Well sure, I didn't plan to develop a history of this adventure that
could be used to inform other potential victims. I was so exhausted
that I didn't insist anymore for the remaining sum, too happy to blow
a little and to recover three quarters. On Sunday, 3 September 89, in
the newspaper of twenty hours, the report passed, incomplete, but
acceptable in spite of pressures that Scientology exercised on Antenna
2 and after many hesitations of the part of journalists. I took the
decision that my experience serves to help others and I achieved that
mainly because the Scientologists didn't have any more influence on me
and I was not afraid of them anymore.

----------------------------------------

Mickael Tussier
--
The dark face of Scientology
http://www.mygale.org/01/tussier/darkside.htm

<end translation>