 |
Apology |
June 8,
1999 1993 W. No. 2079 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE QUEEN'S
BENCH DIVISION
BETWEEN BONNIE LOUISE WOODS - Plainiff - and - (1) SHEILA
CHALEFF (2) GRAHAM WILSON (3) CATHY SPROULE (4) CHURCH OF
SCIENTOLOGY RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COLLEGE INC. - Defendants
STATEMENT IN OPEN COURT Plaintiff's Counsel: The Plaintiff
in this action for libel is Bonnie Woods.
Mrs Woods
is an American by birth who now lives in East Grinstead. During
the 1970s and early 1980s, when she was living in the USA,
Mrs Woods became a member of the Church of Scientology and
completed a number of higher-level courses. In 1982 Mrs Woods
left the Church of Scientology and in 1985 she moved to England
with her husband, Richard Woods. In 1991, Bonnie Woods converted
to Christianity.
Some time
later she and her husband began to provide information, operate
a call line and offer advice about Scientology to families
and friends of members of the Church of Scientology. Mrs Woods
also publicly criticised the Church of Scientology and spoke
to the media about her experiences as a member of the organisation.
Several times she attended vigils outside the Church of Scientology
bookshop in East Grinstead and handed out a document which
was very critical of the Church of Scientology. As a result
of her activities, in June 1993 the Fourth Defendant (which
is Church of Scientology Religious Education College Incorporated,
the body responsible for the propagation and practice of Scientology
in the United Kingdom) produced a leaflet showing a photograph
of Mrs Woods above the words "Hate Campaigner Comes to Town".
A group
of Scientologists put the leaflet through the letter boxes
of those living on the Woods' road and handed it out to members
of the public on East Grinstead High Street during one of
their vigils. The leaflet described Mrs Woods as a "hate campaigner",
that is, someone motivated by hatred and religious intolerance,
and as a "deprogrammer" who tried to force people away from
their chosen faith. It also cast doubt on the sincerity of
her claims to be a born-again Christian. As the defendants
now accept, the allegations in the leaflet about Mrs Woods
were untrue.
Bonnie
Woods does not hate any religion and would not take any step
to force people away from their chosen religion or encourage
others to do so. While the Woods have on occasion met with
Scientologists and their families at the request of their
families and discussed the Church of Scientology with them,
the Woods have not put pressure on them or the Church of Scientology
to prevent them continuing in Scientology. Mrs Woods is sincere
in her Christian faith. The publication of the allegations
to her friends and neighbours in the local community was deeply
distressing to Mrs Woods. In order to clear her name, in December
1993 Mrs Woods sued Church of Scientology Religious Education
College Incorporated and the individual members who had published
the leaflet for libel.
The Defendants
have now acknowledge that the allegations about Mrs Woods
were untrue. They are here by their Counsel today to withdraw
them and to apologise to the Plaintiff. They have agreed to
pay Mrs Woods a substantial amount of money in respect of
her claim for damages for libel, and to undertake to the Court
that they will no longer make these untrue accusations against
her. Defendant's Counsel: On behalf of the Church of Scientology
and all the Defendants I wish to associate myself with all
that has been said by counsel for the Plaintiff.
The Defendants
regret that when responding to Mrs Woods' criticisms of the
Church of Scientology they went too far in attributing to
her conduct and motives which they now accept were not correct.
Through me they apologise to Mrs Woods and undertake (in the
terms of the draft Order before Your Lordship) not to make
any such allegations again. Plaintiff's Counsel: In those
circumstances, the Plaintiff is vindicated and content to
let the matter rest. I ask for leave to withdraw the record.
|