Jeffrey Augustine posted in Outer Banks
Jeffrey Augustine
Lolks posted this article from The Daily Telegraph in Australia. The young man had not been allowed to see his mother who is in Scientology. Looks like Disconnection at work once again; this time to fatal results.
The teenage son of a member of the controversial Church of Scientology is under arrest after a feud with his mum ended in a fatal stabbing attack.
Police believe the 16-year-old brought a 25cm kitchen knife with him from the family’s Ryde home when he tried to see his mother at the church’s Sydney fortress, its $57 million headquarters, at Chatswood on Thursday.
A 24-year-old Taiwanese national, who works for the church, had his throat slashed and another staff member, aged 30, suffered cuts to his hand as they tried to escort the teenager up the long drive away from the building.
The church said in a statement the man killed was a “beloved” member of the congregation.
“This very unfortunate matter is in the hands of the police. We cannot make any further comment beyond the fact that the victim was a beloved member of our church,” it said in a statement.
“The church is providing the police with any assistance needed in their investigation.”
The tragedy followed a domestic incident involving the teenager and his family on Wednesday, police said.
A young Scientologist, who asked not to be identified, said the boy’s mother was inside the facility and he had been stopped from entering and seeing her.
After his mother told Scientology staff what had happened between them the day before, they decided to move him off the premises.
“He’s had a spin-out and they have tried to move him away to safety,” a source said.
Paramedics called to the centre on Grenville St about 12.30pm fought to save the 24-year-old’s life and he was taken to Royal North Shore Hospital but later died.
North Shore Police Area Command Detective Chief Inspector Simon Jones said police had to draw their Tasers to get the teenager to drop his knife.
“At this stage it is very early, it would appear the altercation or the reason a young person has been removed from the premises is only and solely related to a domestic incident that occurred yesterday,” Chief Inspector Jones said.
The teenager was taken to Chatswood Police Station, where he is assisting police with inquiries.
The Church of Scientology, which is anti-drugs and anti-psychiatry but believes in aliens, is best-known in Australia for revealing the horrors of Chelmsford Hospital on Sydney’s north shore through their offshoot the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
Their campaign led to a royal commission which revealed at least 24 people died from so-called “deep sleep” treatment.
The Church of Scientology bought the Chatswood site for $37million.
The opening of their sprawling Australasian headquarters two years ago turned Sydney into a Scientology mega-hub and was hailed by the church as a “golden age” for Sydney.
One of Australia’s most famous Scientologists, Kate Cerebrano, performed at the opening, but it was not attended by former adherent James Packer, who was attracted to the church by one of his best mates, Tom Cruise.
The massive 13,500sq m building formerly housed the National Acoustic Laboratory and was bought by the church for $37 million before being gutted and renovated.
Despite scandals with ex-celebrity members, including actress Leah Remini, leaving its ranks, the church is going from strength to strength in Asia, particularly in Taiwan, from where many young people descend on Sydney to study expensive high-level “auditing” and other courses.
“It’s a huge building, a lot of people come from around Asia to study here,” the young church member said yesterday.
“It offers a lot of services other (Scientology properties) don’t.”