From http://www.rte.ie/news/2002/1203/scientology.html

Dublin woman sues Scientology church December 3, 2002

(13:05) A Dublin woman who claims she was brainwashed by a cult has begun a High Court legal action for damages.

40-year-old sports shop owner Mary Johnson from Westwood, Foxrock, was a member of the Church of Scientology for two years between 1992 and 1994.

She is now suing the organisation because of the experiences and pressures she claims she suffered while a member and the threats and intimidation when she tried to leave.

In the High Court today her lawyer Sean Ryan said the evidence in the case will show how she was sucked into the organisation and subjected to processes and procedures which brought her under its control and influence.

It is claimed she suffered psychiatric and psychological injuries and post traumatic stress disorder.

She was introduced of Scientology in 1992 when she was upset after a relationship break-up.

In court Sean Ryan described the language of the organisation as psycho-religious-mythical expressions that have no meaning other than that defined by scientology.

From: janeebislis@hotmail.com (Praxis)
Subject: Dublin woman sues Scientology church for brainwashing
Date: 3 Dec 2002 07:53:46 -0800
Message-ID: <80ee9418.0212030753.162ce06@posting.google.com>

Older Mary Johnson Stories:

From http://www.raids.org/irlsadm.htm "The High Court has refused an application by the Church of Scientology (COS) to strike out an action for damages taken against it by a Dublin woman who claims she suffered a distinct personality change after being subjected to mind control techniques by the church.

..."

http://www.esatclear.ie/~dialogueireland/newsletters/13-2001.htm "...Mary Johnson (35), who operates a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, Co Dublin, won the right two years ago to see her "counselling notes" when the High Court rejected the Church's claim that it was entitled to "sacerdotal privilege" in relation to the notes. ..."

http://www.xenu.net/archive/WIR/wir6-13.html "...Mr. Justice Butler found there was no willful refusal by Ms Mary Johnson to comply with the order for discovery. It 'beggared belief' that the order involved Ms Johnson having to make discovery of documents relating to her intimate relationships, he said..."

From: Rod Keller <rkeller@unix01.voicenet.com>
Subject: Irish Examiner: Former Scn Sues
Message-ID: <SJoH9.981$9c.107189@news2.voicenet.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 14:57:54 GMT

Woman was 'psychologically injured' The Irish Examiner 04 Dec 2002 By Vivion Kilfeather http://www.online.ie/news/irish_examiner/viewer.adp?article=1896461

A WOMAN who claims she was brainwashed by the Church of Scientology is suing for damages. Dundalk-born Mary Johnson, 40, who has a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, is also suing three members of the church: John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan.

In the High Court yesterday, Sean Ryan SC for Ms Johnson, said she was "sucked in" by the organisation which brought her under its control and influence.

She was recruited to the church in 1992. Efforts were made to prevent her leaving the organisation, to silence her and to devalue her. The court was also told efforts had been made to intimidate her and to prevent her suing.

Mr Ryan said the court would be introduced to a language of psycho religous-mythical scope and expressions and words with no meaning other than being defined as Scientology.

Ms Johnson had suffered psychological, psychiatric injuries, panic attacks and post traumatic stress disorder, together with loss of short term memory and that condition had been exacerbated by the subsequent illegitimate conduct of the defendants.

The story began in 1992 when Ms Johnson was emotionally upset after splitting with her boyfriend. She knew one of the defendants, Tom Cunningham, a member of the Church of Scientology, who introduced her to "dianetic auditing" of form of amateur psychoanalysis.

Mr Cunningham continually suggested Ms Johnson should go to the church's Dublin mission in Middle Abbey Street and have a personality test so that she could become involved in Scientology.

The tests involved money and Ms Johnson was not well off. Under pressure she signed up for a "purification run down" an introduction to the church at a cost of 1,200 pounds.

Ms Johnson was required to do a medical examination and was sent to a scientolgist described as a doctor. She spent long periods in saunas and was told this was purification. People such as this were described as "raw meat" by L Ron Hubbard, the church's founder. In March 1994, she started a "Hubbard Dianetic Auditing" course in Dublin and continued at Saint Hill Foundation in Britain.

In December, a team of recruiters from Saint Hill came to Dublin and she was asked how she was going to further her studies. She said she could not afford further payments and was told she should go to her friends or sell her business.

She gave another 100 pound deposit for a course on a ship in the Caribbean and subsequently signed a contract for one billion years to work for Scientology.

When Ms Johnson got back to Dublin she was subjected to ever more intimidation.

She left the Church in 1994 after being a member for two years.

The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, is expected to last about two weeks

From: "Bat Child (Sue M.)" <batchild1@cox.net>
Subject: Irish Examiner, Dec. 4, 2002: Woman was "psychologically injured" by Scn
Organization: Knights of Xemu
Message-ID: <j2asuuo553h6n7at445s7ribvpcpqbgolh@4ax.com>
Date: Wed, 04 Dec 2002 16:01:43 GMT

Found at:

http://www.online.ie/news/irish_examiner/viewer.adp?article=1896461

====================

Woman was 'psychologically injured' The Irish Examiner 04 Dec 2002

By Vivion Kilfeather

A woman who claims she was brainwashed by the Church of Scientology is suing for damages. Dundalk-born Mary Johnson, 40, who has a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, is also suing three members of the church: John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan.

In the High Court yesterday, Sean Ryan SC for Ms Johnson, said she was "sucked in" by the organisation which brought her under its control and influence.

She was recruited to the church in 1992. Efforts were made to prevent her leaving the organisation, to silence her and to devalue her. The court was also told efforts had been made to intimidate her and to prevent her suing.

Mr Ryan said the court would be introduced to a language of psycho religous-mythical scope and expressions and words with no meaning other than being defined as Scientology.

Ms Johnson had suffered psychological, psychiatric injuries, panic attacks and post traumatic stress disorder, together with loss of short term memory and that condition had been exacerbated by the subsequent illegitimate conduct of the defendants.

The story began in 1992 when Ms Johnson was emotionally upset after splitting with her boyfriend. She knew one of the defendants, Tom Cunningham, a member of the Church of Scientology, who introduced her to "dianetic auditing" of form of amateur psychoanalysis.

Mr Cunningham continually suggested Ms Johnson should go to the church's Dublin mission in Middle Abbey Street and have a personality test so that she could become involved in Scientology.

The tests involved money and Ms Johnson was not well off. Under pressure she signed up for a "purification run down" an introduction to the church at a cost of £1,200.

Ms Johnson was required to do a medical examination and was sent to a scientolgist described as a doctor. She spent long periods in saunas and was told this was purification. People such as this were described as "raw meat" by L Ron Hubbard, the church's founder. In March 1994, she started a "Hubbard Dianetic Auditing" course in Dublin and continued at Saint Hill Foundation in Britain.

In December, a team of recruiters from Saint Hill came to Dublin and she was asked how she was going to further her studies. She said she could not afford further payments and was told she should go to her friends or sell her business.

She gave another £100 deposit for a course on a ship in the Caribbean and subsequently signed a contract for one billion years to work for Scientology.

When Ms Johnson got back to Dublin she was subjected to ever more intimidation.

She left the Church in 1994 after being a member for two years.

The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, is expected to last about two weeks

====================

http://members.cox.net/batchild1 http://members.cox.net/scorseseinfo

From: Rod Keller <rkeller@unix01.voicenet.com>
Subject: Irish Times: Suing Scn
Message-ID: <poJH9.994$9c.110265@news2.voicenet.com>
Date: Thu, 05 Dec 2002 14:28:37 GMT

Court told woman suffered personality change Irish Times December 14, 2002 http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/newsreal/Story.nsp?story_id=34892983&ID=newsreal&scategory=Internet&

A woman suffered a personality change after she was sucked into the grasp of the Church of Scientology and subjected to mind- control techniques, the High Court was told yesterday. Ms Mary Johnson has sued the church for damages.

Among courses Ms Johnson reluctantly signed up for was a "purification rundown", the court heard. The starting point for entry to the church was a personality test which was "not a proper psychological test". Ms Johnson was also trained to resist her family and when she tried to leave, and there were efforts to silence and intimidate her, her lawyer said.

Dundalk-born Ms Johnson (40), a former interprovincial squash player for Leinster who has a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, Co Dublin, has brought proceedings against the church and three of its members: Mr John Keane, described as a "mission holder", Mr Tom Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan.

Opening the case before Mr Justice Peart, Mr Sean Ryan SC, for Ms Johnson, said the evidence would be that she was effectively sucked into the grasp of this organisation and subjected to processes and procedures which brought her under its control and influence.

Her involvement began in 1992, and efforts were made to prevent her leaving, to silence and intimidate her and to prevent her suing.

Mr Ryan contended there was intimidation, watching and besetting on the part of the church and the making of inquiries, not only about Ms Johnson, but by people who went to her place of business. This was not a secret process but a "noisy investigation", involving intimidation of Ms Johnson and members of her family. Her brother- in-law had been the subject of an investigation.

Counsel said the court would be introduced to a language of "psycho religious-mythical scope" and expressions and words that had no meaning other than as they were defined in Scientology.

Whatever about the rights of Scientology, what had happened to Ms Johnson constituted a serious wrong when she had been subjected to these processes, procedures and rituals. These caused her damage and she was subsequently defamed and libelled.

She had suffered psychological and psychiatric injuries, panic attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder, together with short- term memory loss.

That was exacerbated by the subsequent illegitimate conduct of the defendants.

Mr Ryan said the story began in 1992 when Ms Johnson was feeling emotionally upset after she had split up with her boyfriend.

She knew the defendant, Mr Cunningham, a member of the Church of Scientology. He introduced her to "dianetic auditing", which was something like amateur psychoanalysis performed by non-qualified persons.

Mr Cunningham was continually suggesting that Ms Johnson go to the church's Dublin mission in Middle Abbey Street and have a personality test for the purpose of getting involved in Scientology and "going up the bridge", an elaborate system of charts which would astonish anybody.

The starting point was a personality test called OCA (Oxford Capacity Analysis), which was not quite what it sounded. She had had that in March 1992. It comprised a series of questions, again Scientology-devised, and was not a proper psychological test but was calculated to point to defects. The test evaluator was the "mission holder", John Keane.

People were pressurised to do further tests, investigations and auditing, involving costs, and Ms Johnson was not well off. She would be rebuked if she criticised what was going on. Under pressure, she signed up for a "purification rundown" which went on from September to December 1993 and cost (pounds) 1,200. She was reluctant to spend this sort of money but was assured this would change her life and improve her relationships with her family, boyfriend and friends.

She was required to do a medical examination and sent to a Scientologist described as a doctor. She was given vitamins, far more than normal, was sent out on "runs" and spent long periods in saunas. People in this situation would be described as "pure clear".

The treatment routine also consisted of being lined up against a "twin".

Each twin shouted verbal abuse at the other over long periods.

In March 1994 she started a "Hubbard Dianetic Auditing" course in Dublin and continued at Saint Hill Foundation in the UK. She later started but did not finish a "Student Hat" course.

Recruiters from Saint Hill had come to Dublin in 1994. They suggested she sell her business and go to Saint Hill where she would be "audited up" to a state where she would be clean and trained up as an auditor.

She paid a (pounds) 100 deposit for a course on a ship in the Caribbean.

At this stage she had parted with a lot of money. Before she returned from Saint Hill in 1994 she had signed a contract for one billion years to work for Scientology. She finished the auditor's course.

Mr Ryan said that when Ms Johnson got back to Dublin she was subjected to even more phone calls. Her family were worried about her and in contact.

When she told the people in the mission that, she was trained to resist her family. Efforts were made to disconnect her from her family and friends and to cement the relationship with Scientology.

In evidence, Ms Johnson said Mr Cunningham suggested to her about late 1991 that they have an auditing session. She was reluctant but eventually agreed. He sat on a bed and she sat on a chair and he told her to look at the ceiling and count from one to seven with her eyes closed.

Over the next 18 months there may have been 20-30 sessions. As time went on, the feeling of euphoria she had after the first session was repeated on a regular basis. The euphoria would dissipate and she was addicted to it.

The case is expected to last for two weeks.

=======

http://www.esatclear.ie/~dialogueireland/newsletters/13-2001.htm

Seems now to be a part time religion for its members. Whereas, it appeared to be very active till about 1998, it now is only open in the evening during the week and for longer periods at the weekend. Their Middle Abbey Street location looks deserted and depressing most of the time. They are apparently opening a new mission in Dublin and a spokesperson replied as follows to a request for information about it, "I confirm that the organisation and set-up of the proposed second Dublin Mission of the Church of Scientology has not been completed-to say the least." This may be connected to the ongoing court case with Mary Johnston that was in the courts twice this year. Some of the former directors are due to meet with her in court again in case that has gone on for nearly 6 years. The Supreme Court ruled in favour of Scientologists at the end of February. Mary claims she was "under undue influence", lost her right to obtain documents relating to her admission to the group won earlier in a High Court decision. Mary Johnson (35), who operates a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, Co Dublin, won the right two years ago to see her "counselling notes" when the High Court rejected the Church's claim that it was entitled to "sacerdotal privilege" in relation to the notes. Ms Johnson is bringing an action against the Church and three members, Tom Cunningham, GERARD RYAN and John Keane. The Church and its three members did not appeal the High Court finding in relation to the counselling notes, but said they did not have other notes and appealed the High Court finding that they should produce them to her. These documents included Ms Johnson's IQ test, her aptitude test, a "success story" which she completed and a security checklist. They also said they did not have an agreement she signed with Sea Org an elite group of staff members who make a commitment of one billion years to work for the organisation. Giving the Supreme Court judgment, Mrs Justice Susan Denham said all the documents at issue originated in England and were created by the English Church of Scientology and had never been in Ireland and were not in the possession or custody of the Irish Church and the three members. Later in July the High Court refused an application by the Church of Scientology (COS) to strike out an action for damages taken against it by Mary who claims she suffered a distinct personality change after being subjected to mind control techniques by the church. Mr Justice Butler found there was no wilful refusal by Ms Johnson to comply with the order for discovery. It "beggared belief" that the order involved her having to make discovery of documents relating to her intimate relationships, he said.

One of the people involved in the case, Gerard Ryan has been sending out a leaflet to Church leaders and to Schools trying to attack the work of Dialogue Ireland. We answered his leaflet and he just intensified the attacks, but when we wrote to him in July 2000, he ignored our correspondence which we put up on our web site in the A - Z section Scientology - correspondence. Even when we were engaged in dialogue he continued to send out the same material. I was at an International Conference at the LSE in London in April and took up an invitation to visit Saint Hill the UK HQ of Scientology. I talked to some of the leaders there and proposed mediation and this led to a meeting with two of them, and Gerard Ryan in Dublin in May. I tried to obtain written responses to some of my questions, before we met, but unfortunately I did not receive these. We were due to meet by the middle of June, but a time constraint on their side has led to us postponing our next session till the end of September. I have stressed that as Scientology believes that "if it is not written it is not true", I will require written documentation so I can prepare myself before I meet with three Scientologists! In the meantime Gerard Ryan and myself have agreed to a correspondence cease-fire pending the outcome of the mediation. This I have noted on our web site! Finally Scientologists have opened a CITIZENS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS, based in Castleknock which is very concerned about the abuse of psychiatric drugs, especially their use by children.

========

From: janeebislis@hotmail.com (Praxis)
Subject: Irish Voice - Controversial Church Sued
Date: 5 Dec 2002 16:09:30 -0800
Message-ID: <80ee9418.0212051609.18b79c89@posting.google.com>

From http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishinamerica/news/olstory.asp?article=1896755

Controversial Church Sued By Mairead Carey

A DUBLIN woman who claims she was brainwashed by the Church of Scientology has begun a High Court legal action for damages.

Mary Johnson from Foxrock was a member of the Church of Scientology for two years between 1992 and 1994. The 40-year-old woman, who runs a sports shop in Dublin, claims that she suffered psychiatric injuries as well as post traumatic stress disorder.

She is now suing the organization because of the experiences and pressures she claims she suffered while a member and because of threats and intimidation she claims to have suffered when she tried to leave. She is also claiming a breach of her constitutional rights, defamation and conspiracy by the church.

In the High Court on Tuesday her lawyer Sean Ryan said the evidence in the case will show that she was sucked into the organization and subjected to processes and procedures which brought her under its control and influence. He described the language of the organization as psycho-religious/mythical expressions that have no meaning other than that defined by Scientology.

Johnson was introduced to the Church of Scientology in 1992 when she was upset after a relationship break-up. She was brought to their Dublin mission where she took a number of personality tests.

Her lawyer said the tests were calculated to produce defects in a person. She then embarked on a number of costly courses to overcome those defects.

Her lawyer claims that Johnson became uneasy with the organization.

Her family asked her to come and visit them but prior to the visit, he claims, she was "prepared" for the meeting by members of the church.

Her family eventually persuaded her to leave, but when she did it is claimed that she was subjected to a barrage of telephone calls which continued to this day.

The Church of Scientology denies her claims and will vigorously defending the case, with two of the country's leading senior counsel.

The court case, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, is expected to last two weeks.

Irish Voice

========

Scientology case woman tells of abortion confession Source: Irish Times Publication date: 2002-12-05

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology told the High Court yesterday she became very distressed during a church "auditing session" in 1992 and had recounted an event that nobody else knew about her, that she had been pregnant and had had an abortion.

Ms Mary Johnston, who has a sports shop in Foxrock, Co Dublin, was giving evidence on the second day of her action against the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin Ltd and three of its members: John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan.

She is seeking damages under a number of headings, including conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights.

Yesterday Ms Johnston (40) said she had had a number of auditing sessions with Mr Cunningham from late 1991. At one session in January 1992 she was unable to recall anything.

Mr Cunningham had told her there "must be something". She ultimately remembered the one thing in the world that nobody knew about her and said she wanted to stop the session.

She was so distressed that she was not going to be made happy by recounting anything.

The session was stopped by Mr Cunningham, and he brought her for a coffee.

He said the founder of the Scientology movement, L Ron Hubbard, had said that, if one could not confront something, it impinged on one's ability to "get past it".

She said Mr Cunningham kept urging her to go back into session until she capitulated. They went back, and she recounted the first time she discovered she was pregnant.

Mr Cunningham wanted her to contact the initial point of trauma. She went over it again and again.

She was distressed during the session. She had never told anybody of that incident, apart from the person involved in it.

What really disturbed her was that, far from feeling relieved at the end of the session, she actually felt anxious and concerned.

Mr Cunningham was a reasonably close friend but "not that close".

When the abortion referendum was on, she could not get the word "abortion" out her head. On the inside she was "cracking up".

She had had two abortions, in 1985 and 1987. She regretted what she had done, but at the end of the day she had put them behind her and got on with her life.

These matters had not come into her head on a regular basis but, after the auditing, were in her thoughts all the time.

It was as if she had "opened a Pandora's box and I could not shut it".

Ms Johnston said she used go into the Scientology centre in Middle Abbey Street, Dublin, where she met many of the people who worked there. She knew she was "on their turf" but they were so intrusive.

She referred to a Standard Oxford Capacity Analysis test, comprising 200 questions. She thought it had something to do with Oxford University.

After the test, Mr John Keane sat opposite her and went though it with her.

Mr Keane basically told her she was in pretty poor shape, and the inference was that she was irresponsible. He said she needed to get some professional Dianetic auditing and told her there would have to be a price.

She had no money but had taken out a loan to set up her business.

She said Mr Keane said he would not accept that. He became extremely aggressive and intimidating.

When she repeated that she did not have the money, he kept insisting. He then became angry. Subsequently she told Tom Cuningham she was never going in there again.

Mr Cunningham had arranged for her to meet Gerard Ryan in August 1993. She was taken into a partitioned room.

One of two main questions asked was whether there was anything in her past "which you do not mind owning". She did not know what Mr Ryan meant and he did not explain.

The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, continues today.

Publication date: 2002-12-05

© 2002, YellowBrix, Inc.

=========

Church pressed woman to sell shop, court told Source: Irish Times Publication date: 2002-12-06

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology has told the High Court she had been encouraged to sell her business to pay for courses which would advance her within the organisation and which would cost about (pounds) 9,200 sterling.

Ms Mary Johnston (40), who has a sports equipment shop in Foxrock, Dublin, said that in November 1993 members of a mission from the organisation came to give a course. She met two of them and was told that she was obviously extremely intelligent and should train to go "up the bridge" on the processing side of the Church of Scientology.

She was told there would be a cost involved, and it was suggested to her that she could borrow from her family or her boyfriend if she did not have the money.

When it was suggested that she should sell her sports shop to pay for the courses, she was shocked because she had spent the previous 12 months trying to prevent it from going under.

She was told she was completely wasted as a retailer and should involve herself with the most ethical group on the planet. They put pressure on her. The cost of the courses was (pounds) 9,200 sterling.

"By the time they had finished with me after five hours had elapsed, I had agreed I was going to sell my business. I was elated," she said. She tried to borrow from her boyfriend at the time, who turned down her request.

As a result of her involvement with the church, she became withdrawn from her family and friends. She tried to recruit people into scientology but was unsuccessful in most cases. She had many rows with her boyfriend in which she "screamed, shouted, ranted and raved". Her short-term memory started to be affected.

Ms Johnston is suing the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin Ltd and three of its members, Mr John Keane, Mr Tom Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan, for alleged conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights.

Earlier, Ms Johnston said she was told she could not read an article in the Evening Herald which was critical of scientology. She had heard the article had made reference to a person who had left Scientology in California. The article also made reference to Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman having been visitors to that place.

She asked Mr Keane at the Dublin mission if he had a copy of it. He said she could not read it. He said she would need "class-12 auditing" to "repair" her because of what was contained in the article. Class-12 auditing would require "an arm and a leg", added Ms Johnston. She did not see the article.

On another occasion at the end of 1993, she said, she was taken to a downstairs room in the organisation's Dublin premises. There was an ashtray on a chair in front of her and she was told by a man to command it as loudly as she could to get it to stand up. She ended up screaming at the ashtray to stand.

She had to lift it up, acknowledging that it had stood up and say "Thank you" to it. She then screamed at the ashtray to "get down". Then she put it down and said "Thank you." She found what happened extremely confusing. She did not know why she was screaming at an inanimate object.

Ms Johnston said that just before Christmas 1993, a friend died from a massive heart attack, but she did not go to the funeral because sympathy was "low tone" in the Church of Scientology. At the higher end of the scale it was 40 for the higher tone while sympathy was down at 0.5 per cent. She said she resigned from the organisation in May 1994.

The hearing before Mr Justice Peart continues today.

Publication date: 2002-12-06

==========

http://yellowbrix.com/pages/newsreal/Story.nsp?story_id=34969800

Woman suing Scientologists feared private life would be made public Source: Irish Times Publication date: 2002-12-07

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology was photographed by a man while she was on a licensed premises early last year, the High Court was told yesterday. Ms Mary Johnston said that incident occurred in January/February 2001.

Ms Johnston (40), who operates a sports equipment centre at Westwood, Foxrock, Dublin, also said a friend had told her in her shop earlier that a man had been on the premises and had made derogatory remarks about her.

Her attention was later drawn by a work colleague to a man in the bar area of the Westwood centre. The man was queuing up to buy something and then sat by the window and photographed her.

Ms Johnston said she had a disposable camera which she gave to a friend, Ms Catherine Hamilton, who took a picture of the man, which she produced in court. The man had stared at her for about 10 minutes.

She followed the man out to the car park and he jumped a wall. She took a mental note of the registration of a car he was driving and called garda. The man concerned had come into her shop on a number of occasions.

Ms Johnston was continuing her evidence in her action against the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin, and three of its members, Mr John Keane, Mr Tom Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan. She is seeking damages for alleged conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights.

After leaving the Church, Ms Johnston said she had nightmares, sleeplessness and anxiety attacks, which she had not experienced before. Asked by Mr Michael Cush SC, one of her legal team, whether, in the two years after leaving the Church, she had ever felt free of it or scientologists, she said she did not.

From May 1994, having left Scientology, Ms Johnston said she lived in dread and fear because she knew what she had told the movement in confidence "risked being breached". She believed her private life in some way was going to become public.

Towards October, she began to have very bad and prolonged headaches and was dizzy. She went to a doctor. She linked the headaches to Scientology.

She was invited to speak at a meeting in Clonliffe College in late 1994. Afterwards, a letter was sent by Mr Gerard Ryan to Stephen O'Brien, a journalist then with the Irish Independent. The letter came into her possession shortly afterwards. When she read it she was gutted because she knew then that the fears she had were well founded. She was grieved by what she read and she also felt betrayed.

Mr Michael Collins SC, for the defendants, opened his cross- examination of Ms Johnston by reading a nine-page article about Scientology, written by Prof Brian Wilson, of Oxford University. Ms Johnston agreed this was a reasonable summary of what Scientologists believed.

She agreed she became friendly with Mr Cunnigham in the early 1990s. There was never any romantic relationship between them. They moved into a house in Firhouse in late 1991. In early 1992, she began dianetic auditing.

She agreed she had "let fly" at Mr Cunnigham over the state of the house once, and later apologised. Mr Cunnigham suggested she try a session of dianetic auditing and she "reluctantly" agreed. Mr Collins said Mr Cunningham's recollection was that she was very enthusiastic about it.

She could not recall asking Mr Cunnigham to destroy notes of sessions where she had divulged "my secrets".

The hearing continues.

Publication date: 2002-12-07

===========

Woman was 'psychologically injured' The Irish Examiner 04 Dec 2002

By Vivion Kilfeather

A WOMAN who claims she was brainwashed by the Church of Scientology is suing for damages. Dundalk-born Mary Johnson, 40, who has a sports equipment shop at Westwood, Foxrock, is also suing three members of the church: John Keane, Tom Cunningham and Gerard Ryan.

In the High Court yesterday, Sean Ryan SC for Ms Johnson, said she was "sucked in" by the organisation which brought her under its control and influence.

She was recruited to the church in 1992. Efforts were made to prevent her leaving the organisation, to silence her and to devalue her. The court was also told efforts had been made to intimidate her and to prevent her suing.

Mr Ryan said the court would be introduced to a language of psycho religous-mythical scope and expressions and words with no meaning other than being defined as Scientology.

Ms Johnson had suffered psychological, psychiatric injuries, panic attacks and post traumatic stress disorder, together with loss of short term memory and that condition had been exacerbated by the subsequent illegitimate conduct of the defendants.

The story began in 1992 when Ms Johnson was emotionally upset after splitting with her boyfriend. She knew one of the defendants, Tom Cunningham, a member of the Church of Scientology, who introduced her to "dianetic auditing" of form of amateur psychoanalysis.

Mr Cunningham continually suggested Ms Johnson should go to the church's Dublin mission in Middle Abbey Street and have a personality test so that she could become involved in Scientology.

The tests involved money and Ms Johnson was not well off. Under pressure she signed up for a "purification run down" an introduction to the church at a cost of £1,200.

Ms Johnson was required to do a medical examination and was sent to a scientolgist described as a doctor. She spent long periods in saunas and was told this was purification. People such as this were described as "raw meat" by L Ron Hubbard, the church's founder. In March 1994, she started a "Hubbard Dianetic Auditing" course in Dublin and continued at Saint Hill Foundation in Britain.

In December, a team of recruiters from Saint Hill came to Dublin and she was asked how she was going to further her studies. She said she could not afford further payments and was told she should go to her friends or sell her business.

She gave another £100 deposit for a course on a ship in the Caribbean and subsequently signed a contract for one billion years to work for Scientology.

When Ms Johnson got back to Dublin she was subjected to ever more intimidation.

She left the Church in 1994 after being a member for two years.

The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, is expected to last about two weeks

============

From: janeebislis@hotmail.com (Praxis)
Subject: Mary Johnston is being cross examined today
Date: 10 Dec 2002 07:08:32 -0800
Message-ID: <80ee9418.0212100708.254002ba@posting.google.com>

From http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=26597&pt=n

Woman sues Church of Scientology

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology is being cross examined by their solicitors at the High Court in Dublin today.

Mary Johnston, 40, who owns a sports shop in Dublin, said she found training sessions at the church extremely stressful.

She claims that, at times, the sessions involved staring at people for a hour and a half.

Ms Johnston is suing the church for breach of constitutional rights.

She told the High Court that her mind was out of control.

From: Rod Keller <rkeller@unix01.voicenet.com>
Subject: Irish Times: Cross-examination
Message-ID: <RT0K9.109$gU.29368@news2.voicenet.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 14:17:21 GMT

Church pressure not raised on talk show Irish Times December 11, 2002 http://beta.yellowbrix.com/pages/newsreal/Story.nsp?story_id=35087744&ID=newsreal&scategory=Internet&

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology has been cross-examined at length in the High Court about why she had not spoken about the alleged pressure put on her by the church when interviewed on RT's Late Late Show in February 1995.

Mr Michael Collins SC, for the church, also asked Ms Mary Johnston why she had not spoken about pressure to join the church in a Sunday Tribune article in 1994. In that article, she had stated she was not vulnerable, Mr Collins said.

Ms Johnston (40), who operates a sports equipment business at Westwood, Foxrock, Dublin, is suing the church and three of its members for damages for personal injuries, breach of constitutional rights and conspiracy.

Mr Collins put to Ms Johnston that, at the end of the Late Late Show interview, she had been asked by Gay Byrne why she joined the church and she said it was because she was intelligent and interested in the way the mind worked.

"No allegation there you were pressured into doing something you didn't want to do?" Mr Collins asked. Ms Johnston said: "It wouldn't be one of the best replies I ever gave in my life."

She was quite frightened to be on the show, she added. She denied that she had been briefed by Bonnie and Richard Woods, whom Mr Collins l described as members of a fundamentalist church in England opposed to scientology.

She agreed Carr Communications had helped her to prepare for her Late Late Show appearance. She did not have to pay for that preparation as Mr Tom Savage of Carr Communications was a cousin of hers.

She had gone on the show in the hope of discouraging people from getting involved in the church. However she had said very little on the show because she was contemplating litigation.

Asked about a Sunday Tribune article referring to her, Ms Johnston said that at the time she was only out of scientology six months. As an former cult member, she was coming to terms with the trauma she had been through.

Ms Johnston said she had become obsessed with having revealed to Mr Tom Cunningham, a defendant, her secret regarding her having had two abortions. She had never told that to anyone else.

In August 1993, she said, she went to seek further help from Mr Gerard Ryan, another defendant, and subsequently signed up with the church.

About the time of the 1993 abortion referendum, she was distressed and told Mr Cunningham about this. She said Mr Cunningham had told her this was because she had a "withhold" from her boyfriend and advised her to tell the boyfriend.

She had not told her sister about the abortions until she had left the Church of Scientology.

She said she had felt no relief when she had told Mr Cunningham. "I just felt vulnerable and from that point on I felt vulnerable."

The case continues today before Mr Justice Peart.

Church of Scientology 'coercive' Source: Irish Times Publication date: 2002-12-12

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology for damages told the High Court yesterday she was distressed to recall that a man became unconscious while she was giving him an "auditing" session. She described the church as "coercive" and "destructive".

Ms Mary Johnston (40), who operates a sports equipment business in Foxrock, Dublin, said she was giving the auditing session in question in Britain in 1994. "I am distressed when I think back to how that poor man went unconscious on me and I was able to click him back. It has bothered me that I may have caused him harm."

She has sued the church and three of its members, Mr John Keane, Mr Tom Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan, for damages alleging personal injury, breach of constitutional rights. Mr Michael Collins SC, for the defendants, was continuing his cross-examination of Ms Johnston on the seventh day of her action.

Ms Johnston said she felt she had carried out things on a human being without having had the medical background to do so. She had done this through following the commands given by Ron L. Hubbard, the founder of the church.

Asked about carrying placards outside a Church of Scientology meeting, Ms Johnston said she believed the church was coercive and destructive and altered people's perception of reality.

"I defend people's rights to believe what they like, but if people carry out acts which harm people by taking them away from their families, then I have a problem with that and have a duty to speak."

Ms Johnston agreed she had told people he church was evil.

She had changed her mind about the Church of Scientology after a meeting with her family in Edenderry, Co Offaly. She said the church diminished God as the supreme being.

The case continues today before Mr Justice Peart.

Publication date: 2002-12-12

From: janeebislis@hotmail.com (Praxis)
Subject: Woman critical of church's 'manipulative' techniques
Date: 13 Dec 2002 16:19:07 -0800
Message-ID: <80ee9418.0212131619.616b0931@posting.google.com>

From http://infobrix.yellowbrix.com/pages/infobrix/Story.nsp?story_id=35127877&ID=infobrix&scategory=Business+and+Finance&

Woman critical of church's 'manipulative' techniques Source: Irish Times Publication date: 2002-12-13

A woman who is suing the Church of Scientology told the High Court yesterday she did not criticise Scientologists in general but took issue with the techniques devised by the church's founder and used in the pursuit of its activities. Ms Mary Johnston said the church was engaged in a personal and vindictive campaign against her.

Ms Johnston was asked by Mr Michael Collins SC, for the defence, if she had any objection to Scientologists, when subjected to criticism of the most severe kind, attempting to defend themselves or their point of view.

Ms Johnston said her criticism of Scientologists was based on things that had happened to her and was levelled against the individual Scientologists who perpetrated what she claimed. She did not criticise Scientologists in general.

Her issue was with the coercive and manipulative techniques devised by the founder of the church, L Ron Hubbard, and used in pursuit of its activities. Ms Johnston said Hubbard had written that anyone who was antagonistic to Scientology could be tricked, sued, lied to, cheated or destroyed. He had also written: "You are safe as long as you don't attack them."

Asked if she believed Scientologists were entitled to respond to her criticisms of them, Ms Johnston said they were. She believed people were entitled to express their views but did not believe they were entitled to use information she gave them that was private and "then go digging around for dirt on me".

It was a personal, vindictive campaign against her, rather than saying: "Well, this is not true what she says about L Ron Hubbard.

This is not true what she says about auditing. Here are the facts."

Yesterday was the seventh day of the hearing of Ms Johnston's action for damages for alleged conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights against the Church of Scientology Mission of Dublin Ltd and three of its members, Mr John Keane, Mr Tom Cunningham and Mr Gerard Ryan.

In her continuing cross-examination by Mr Collins, Ms Johnston said that, before she went on The Late, Late Show in 1995, she had told the researcher that she did not want to be on the show and was frightened confidential matters relating to her were going to be breached by Scientologists who would be present.

After she declined to go on the show, the researcher had come back to her and pressed her to go on. The hearing, before Mr Justice Peart, continues today.

Publication date: 2002-12-13

From: spamtrap@spamtrap.com
Subject: [Hate Groups / Scientology] Cult 'caused member's loss of memory'
Date: Sat, 14 Dec 2002 09:09:22 +0100
Organization: Religion News Blog: http://www.religionnewsblog.com
Message-ID: <tiplvu01fv9ltnc1f62ucuqvs661lrakl2@4ax.com>

:===Begin Quote=== [Hate Groups / Scientology] Cult 'caused member's loss of memory' Item 1529 • Posted: 12/14/2002 • Weblogged by Religion News Blog ReligionNewsBlog.com

Irish Independent (Ireland), Dec. 14, 2002 http://www.religionnewsblog.com/archives/00001529.html

The High Court action by a woman against the Church of Scientology which was expected to last about two weeks was yesterday adjourned until January 14.

The cross-examination of Mary Johnston, the woman taking the action, has not yet concluded and the case is now expected to run for some weeks more. Ms Johnston, who runs a sports shop in Foxrock, Dublin, is a former member of the Church of Scientology and is suing for alleged conspiracy, misrepresentation and breach of constitutional rights.

Under cross-examination yesterday by Michael Collins SC, for the defence, Ms Johnston said that despite being a member of Mensa, her short term memory had been affected through involvement with the church.

Mr Collins pointed out only people who were highly intelligent were in Mensa and asked Ms Johnston to explain why she was claiming damages.

She replied that since 1993 she had suffered short term memory loss and because of her involvement with Scientology would just go blank.

:===End Quote===

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