An
Australia woman claims she was held against her will on a Church of
Scientology cruise ship for 12 years. Valeska Paris said the church’s
leader, David Miscavige, sent her to the cruise ship The Freewinds when
she was 17 to stop her mother from taking her away from Scientology.
Paris was born into a Scientology family in Switzerland and at age 6
moved to the church’s headquarters in the United Kingdom, where she was
placed in its youth wing. At 14 she joined the Church’s elite Sea
Organization, signing a contract binding her for a billion years. It was
a commitment that would override her bond with her own family. Paris
says at 17 the church told her she could no longer see her mother
because they were afraid her mom would remove her from Scientology. Her
mother had denounced Scientology on French TV after her ex-husband,
Albert Jaquier, had committed suicide. A self-made millionaire, his last
days were spent in poverty. He blamed Scientology for fleecing him of
his fortune. Paris said they took her passport and she was not allowed
off the ship for the first six years without an escort and was forced to
do hard labor in the engine room. In a statement, the Church of
Scientology denied Paris’ claim she was held against her will.
