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Victim: Scientologists Helped Stepdad Hide My Sex Abuse

Abuse was 'karmic punishment,' leader said

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted May 20, 2010 1:43 AM CDT

(Newser) – The Australian branch of the Church of Scientology helped a stepfather cover up his sexual assault of his pre-teen daughter and blamed the girl for the attacks, the victim has revealed. The daughter, now an adult, says her stepdad molested her from the ages of 7 to 11, and that Scientology official Jan Eastgate told her and her mother to lie to police about the abuse—and that it was her own fault, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"'Just say no, she kept repeating that. Don't say yes because otherwise you will be taken away from your parents and you'll never see your family again," Carmen Rainer recalled being told. ''They told me it was my fault because I'd been bad in a past life. I believed them. I was 11, that's what I knew. I grew up believing what they believed." Eastgate said Rainer's claims are false and that the church insisted that Rainer's stepfather go to the police in 1999. Rainer made a statement to police in 2001, which led to her stepfather's arrest and conviction for indecent assault.

An Australian woman is charging a Scientology official with insisting she cover up her stepdad's sexual assaults of her, and blamed her for the attacks because of a bad past life.
An Australian woman is charging a Scientology official with insisting she cover up her stepdad's sexual assaults of her, and blamed her for the attacks because of a bad "past life."   (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Jersey13
May 21, 2010 9:32 PM CDT
This is why I gave up my religion not to long ago. Everything horrible is always done in the name of god, no matter which religion it is.
JimW
May 21, 2010 4:58 PM CDT
Scientology is going to great lengths to prove it can play ball with the big boy religions. This one puts them in a league with the Catholics. Heavy hitters, the Catholics.
lipstickonapig
May 20, 2010 10:56 PM CDT
Oh, how cute! *looks below" Pro-Scientolgy astro turf..... Is that you Chef? (LOL) I don't care how much good work that "church" claims it does, doesn't excuse covering up the truth and blaming the victim in this case. Stop being defensive like a cult with something to hide.

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