An unregulated rehab centre linked to the Church of Scientology put mentally ill people through intense psychological drills that allegedly left them “traumatised” and in “trance-like” states, an investigation by the Observer can reveal.
Former patients and staff at Narconon UK say vulnerable people seeking help for addiction were expected to complete mental exercises, similar to methods used in Scientology’s controversial “auditing” process, at a secluded compound in rural Sussex.
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The allegations raise questions over how a rehab with links to one of the world’s most controversial religious movements, accused of abusive practices, is able to operate unregulated in Britain.
Marketed as “world class”, and listed in an NHS directory, Narconon’s Sussex facility, on a nine-acre campus near the town of Heathfield, opened in 2015. But it has not been inspected since 2016, and has never been assessed to ensure its programme is effective or safe. Instead, it has been operating without oversight for the last five years due to a regulation loophole, the Observer’s investigation has found, and remains free of the same scrutiny that other addiction programmes face.
While the Care Quality Commission (CQC) oversees substance misuse services, it says Narconon’s programme is not within its remit and suggested this was because its approach was “alternative”.
It’s easy to forget that one of their big centres outside the US is East Grinstead (described as “Britain’s weirdest town”). It’s where Neil Gaiman was brought up when his family were heavily involved with Scientology.
They seem to be getting away with quite a bit because they are a “religion” and “alternative” but such abuse shouldn’t be allowed in this day and age no matter who is doing it.
The road goes right past that Mormon church that is on the outskirts of East Grinstead, as a kid I always thought that was the Scientology one and you regularly saw scientologists in surrounding towns such as Tunbridge Wells trying to recruit people into that bullshit.
I haven’t seen any in more recent times, though I do live further away now so only pass through from time to time visiting my home town.
I think we can pretty definitively say his family still are heavily involved in scientology. His parents were their whole lives, his sister Claire is high up and his other sister is also involved.