After Church of Scientology officials learned in 1991 that a 16-year-old religious worker claimed to have been sexually assaulted, they failed to report the allegations to police and instead arranged for the girl to marry her abuser, according to a lawsuit unsealed last week in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The complaint against Scientology leader David Miscavige, recruiter Gavin Potter and three church entities alleges that the organization created a culture where sexual abuse was enabled by policies written by founder L. Ron Hubbard.
The lawsuit maintains that Scientologists are prohibited from reporting crimes to police committed by fellow members. It also alleges that minors are especially susceptible to sexual abuse in Scientology, which views them as “adults in the bodies of children.” Hubbard taught that each person is an immortal being who has lived many lifetimes over billions of years.
