Scientology Denies Any Involvement In French Woman’s Kidnapping in Italy
A news story leaked a few weeks back about a French woman being found in Sardinia, Italy who was discovered “half-naked” and being held captive against her will in a room “infested with vermin.”
Most of the news sources were in Italian and I wasn’t sure I could accurately report the story without having a proper translation. Now there are new reports on this story, with a proper translation. Here’s more from ARS:
“A Frenchwoman, kidnapped in Sardinia by members of the Church of Scientology and rescued at the end of January by the Italian police force, will “quickly be repatriated to France”, French diplomatic sources in Rome indicated Saturday.
“The French Consulate in Rome has been following this since the beginning in close cooperation with the Italian authorities and Martine Boublil will quickly be repatriated to France”, affirmed these sources.
The police in Nuoro (east-central Sardinia), who had rescued the 48 year old Frenchwoman held under deplorable conditions, informed AFP that Mrs. Boublil “was still in hospital but that she might leave Sardinia next week”.
There were four French Scientologists, three men and one woman, who were arrested in conjunction with this kidnapping and all four were released ten days ago and have returned to France, according to the article.
A spokesperson for the Church of Scientology stated the issue was a matter of “family drama” and stated the CoS had “nothing to say” on the matter.
A French paper, Le Parisien reported the woman described her time in captivity as being “in hell.” Ms. Boublil, the victim, is the sister of a Claude Boublil,”an organizer of the Scientology Celebrity Center in Paris.” Mr. Claude Boublil is said to be an OTVIII and a high ranking member of the French org. It is alleged Mr. Boublil arranged for his sister, Martine, who has a history of depression, to be picked up by fellow Scientologists and held her against her will in Sardinia. Fortunately, neighbors found SOS notes she written with lipstick in a garden and contacted authorities.
Ms. Boublil was suffering from another episode of depression and was said to be hospitalized at the time of her abduction. She left the Church of Scientology eight years ago, but her brother remains with the Church. While it’s mere speculation, Ms. Boublil’s presence and treatment in a psychiatric facility were likely the motivation for her kidnapping by CoS officials. Scientology is diametrically opposed to any form of psychiatric treatment, psychiatrists and psychiatric medicines.
Since her rescue, Ms. Boublil is said to be recovering, and has been admitted to a psychiatric facility in Sardinia. For more on this story, you can visit here.
This story hit me as intriguing for its striking similarities between Ms. Boublil’s case and the case of Lisa McPherson. Lisa was a member of Scientology and died in 1995 after being “treated” by fellow Scientologists for 17 days. Lisa case is full of mystery and to get the full scope you should follow the previous link, but in summary Lisa was found DOA after her “caretakers” finally took her to a Clearwater hospital when she was found unresponsive. Lisa was severely dehydrated and her body was covered in bug bites said to be caused by cockroaches which had infested the room she was being held in at the Fort Harrison Hotel.
There’s been speculation as to how Lisa could have received so many cockroach bites while staying at the Fort Harrison Hotel, which is the cultural center for Scientologists seeking to move their way up the OT (Operating Thetan) Levels. The hotel is supposed to be a top notch facility, housing international and celebrity Scientologists alike. It makes you stop and wonder how the one room Lisa was in became so infested with bugs, but the rest of the hotel remained vermin free.
A lot of things about the Church of Scientology makes you wonder.
So far, in the abduction case of Martine Boublil, the four alleged Scientology accomplices have been released and their current status and specific whereabouts are unknown.
(image courtesy of Lermanet.com)
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In light of the previous discussion had here on psychiatry this is a great exclamation point. Once again a high ranking member of Co$ involved. That poor woman. Hopefully she will get better and those responsible are brought to justice and don’t make a disappearing act abound one of the Co$ fun cruise ships.
Comment by Mitsu — March 5, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
Thank you Mitsu, and thanks for your willingness to read these stories. I know a lot of Glosslip’s regular readers might be put off by it, but I appreciate your interest!
Comment by D — March 5, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
D, if anything, you have attracted new kinds of readers to this site. I, for one, would rarely find myself reading celebrity gossip news until you took on this endeavor. I’ve been all over this site since “The Church Of Scientology Better Watch Its Back”.
I know this is one of the first places I check for updates about Shawn Lonsdale, but things seem quiet all around about it.
Thanks for the update on this story, I had been wondering how things were going on this case.
The CoS is as much a high-profile entity as any celebrity and deserves the same (actually much more) scrutiny that celebrities face. As long as everybody is watching them, they will have to behave themselves - so lets keep on watching!
Comment by liz — March 5, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
Thanks D and K. I came across your site quite by accident and while I do not deny some guilty pleasure on reading up on latest celebrity news once in a while your reporting on Co$ is both informative and well presented. I also am now enoying your blog radio broadcast as well. The commentary is more than entertaining as I am quite impressed by some of the intellectual “dueling” by some of your readers and the use of reference and other source material is quite educational. I also prescribed to doing your research and get “turned off” quite easily by critics who resort to name calling and belittling tatics or trying to divert one from the original arguement. And I admit freely that up until a month ago I would have probably looked upon Co$ as a new age religion and probably harmless if a little weird. Kepp doing what you are doing. I think it is quite appropriate for a celebrity “gossip” ( not in a demeaning way) to make people aware of what is going on as celebrities are clearly the golden goose for the Co$ and they are put up front and center as the supreme examples. Tom Cruise really started it a few years ago with his rant on psychiatry ( Matt, MAtt, Matt you are so glib..), his attack on Brooke Shields ( interesting how they manage to kiss and make up) and the couch olympicks on Oprah. Those were red flags for me. ( What the hell is wrong with Tom Cruise anyway?) So I guess the seeds of doubt or curiosity were planted then and it was a natural progression for me to start looking for real when the latest Tom propoganda video broke. (Now you really got me curious). So Co$ you’ve got a real problem. You’ve got my attention (as with so many other normal everyday folk). I may not be as articulate as others have been ( some really great comments out there and fantastic videos), but I am watching, and reading, and paying attention. Oh boy am I ever paying attention.
Comment by Mitsu — March 5, 2008 @ 8:18 pm
I can’t wait to hear what the OSAfags have to say about this.
Comment by Dio Brando — March 5, 2008 @ 8:20 pm
Thanks for helping to keep up the pressure on the Scilons. In due time their foot shall slide, and I think it won’t be long from now.
Comment by Rao — March 5, 2008 @ 9:03 pm
I betcha the OSA plants (Hi Terreyo, you know I love you) just wont reply. They will try to hide this article because it causes too much downstat, along with all the anon replies. I mean heck, one well written post that they cannot debunk properly can set them back the whole weeks worth of stats (apparently)!
Comment by Jukka Minton — March 5, 2008 @ 10:29 pm
Well, I do read celebrity gossip blogs, but since this one started reporting the Co$ stuff, I’ve been much more interested in this one. It sets this blog apart, gives it more depth than a lot of the celeb chatter blogs out there.
So as far as I’m concerned, keep with it. It’s very informative and always well-written and not sensationalised. Good job.
Comment by Exyank — March 5, 2008 @ 11:19 pm
I am not very interested in celebrity gossip as such; but your articles about Scientology ARE interesting and informative. We shouldn’t turn a blind eye to human rights violators whatever their guise. The ones who set themselves up to be viewed as spiritual teachers and a religion are particularly unsavory. So thanks for the good research. It is also nice that you follow up on the victims as best you can. Often they are a short news story at the beginning and then we never know what has happened to these people.
Comment by Leslie — March 6, 2008 @ 12:41 am
The scary thing is, I can see how, if you truly believed that your sister was being controlled by the evil ghosts of dead aliens, you would want to rid her of them.
Scientology is a bizarre cult. I can imagine why L. Ron Hubbard hated psychiatry so much. He was psychotic!
Comment by Exyank — March 6, 2008 @ 3:07 am
This story is a major big deal in France, where they’re talking parliamentary investigation and so on. BTW, congratulations: You’re just about the first English language publication to cover it, I believe. This woman was obviously undergoing Scientology’s infamous “Introspection Rundown”–same one that killed Lisa McPherson in Florida. Her brother, the brainwashed doctor, has said in a press release that he didn’t want her in a “chemical straightjacket” i.e. on antidepressant drugs.
Comment by Eldon Braun — March 6, 2008 @ 3:31 am
It’s more than evident that scientology matsers, whether the Hubbard founder, his director of the “technique” div wwide, and his successor the dictator international and COB RTC David Miscavige, agree to sequestrate for unlimited periods of times people in some circumstances, including NON-scientologists, as in Martine Boublil case, since Martine, though the sister of a high level scientology staff and helper since 35 years, was no longer a scientologist since more than a decade.
This is criminal and should send the associations of the cult before Criminal Courts. The references can be found in the Volume 3 technical volumes, hubbard, 1991 publications, around pages 600.
Comment by roger gonnet — March 6, 2008 @ 4:29 am
Any scientologists want to comment? I really do want to know what they have to say about that can o’ worms.
Really.
Comment by PlainJaneLane — March 6, 2008 @ 5:03 am
#14, It will probably go something like “blah blah blah, stupid gossip site with lady that records from the kitchen. blah blah, cyber bigots. blah, evil psychiatry. blah” (while failing to address the points as usual…
Comment by MaxwellSmart — March 6, 2008 @ 10:33 am
[…] gossip blog with a side of Scientology criticism, published an excellent article yesterday on the kidnapping of french ex-scientologist Martine Boublil. The Church of Scientology predictably denies any involvement in the kidnapping and imprisonment […]
Pingback by CoS Watch › Glosslip reports on French Ex-Scn kidnapped by Scientologists — March 6, 2008 @ 10:44 am
ARS, your source and mine in troubled times. Your best source for rumormongering, backbiting and accurate translations, ARS consists of unattributable information in a context of racism, bigotry and hate. Glosslip, of course, being active in these areas, appropriately attributes the rumor’s translation to ARS. Stay tuned, next week, through modern computer technology, Times Square bathroom skrawls will be compiled into continuous stories. Reader participation is encouraged.
Comment by Nanonymous — March 6, 2008 @ 12:26 pm
Terryeo #17, there were several Italian and French news sites carrying this story, but seeing as how I don’t speak French or Italian (which I plainly stated in the first paragraph) I had to wait for a translation.
I am sorry your religion kills, kidnaps and tortures people and you find this news upsetting and hard to take, but that doesn’t excuse you from addressing your reading comprehension issues. I know there are programs that can help people who have trouble reading and interpreting words. Give it a google search, maybe there’s a center near you.
I’d like to help you, but I am so busy keeping up with all the evil things the CoS does, I just can’t take on anymore charity cases.
So, good luck with that.
Comment by D — March 6, 2008 @ 1:43 pm
Well D I’m French and I read the french articles and what you reported here is accurate. So Co$ “It’s a small world afterall”. :o)
PS D if you need anyone to doublecheck your translations I’d be glad to proofread for you.
Comment by Mitsu — March 6, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
Thank you Mitsu, that is a generous offer I may have to take you up on sometime. I am glad you are back around and commenting. As I recall, you were one of our first regulars
We love our regulars.
Comment by D — March 6, 2008 @ 5:37 pm
Wouldn’t miss it. ;o)
Comment by Mitsu — March 6, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
In regards to #17: I’ve also read the article in its original french, and the translation that is given here is accurate. You are foolish for making such accusations, especially considering that you yourself are (most likely) unilingual and a moron.
Do you know what the CoS has to say about this, #14? They have to say that this was “a family issue”. Yeah, that’s right. It was just a family thing, had -absolutely nothing- to do with Scientology. Yeah, right!
Comment by Anoynymause — March 6, 2008 @ 6:35 pm
#22
They said the same thing about Jeremy Perkins…
Comment by Anon, Anon, My Boyfriend's Back! — March 6, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
There is a sourced Wikinews article that summarizes the affair:
http://fr.wikinews.org/wiki/Sardaigne_:_une_affaire_de_s%C3%A9questration_met_la_Scientologie_dans_l%27embarras
The latest news can be found on Google News France by searching on Martine Boublil.
Comment by hartley patterson — March 6, 2008 @ 7:39 pm
CO$ always says it’s a “family issue” when events and actions reflect badly on them - but then we all know that they don’t respect, or even know what family is…
Comment by beebee — March 6, 2008 @ 8:13 pm
Scientology is not a religion nor a charity but an unscrupulous for profit business.
They charge their members increasing fees for “auditing” sessions with members paying over One Hundred thousand dollars ($100,000+) before even learning the whole story of the murdered alien spirits.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology_as_a_business
R.L. Hubbard also describes the world’s other religions as part of the “various misleading data” implanted into the memories of those same alien spirits. And their members are discouraged from being treated or taking medicine for mental and even physical disorders.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_claims_in_Scientology_doctrine
All we ask is that you be informed. Information is our weapon, help us help others avoid this scam.
For more info or to get involved see:
http://xenu.net
or http://youfoundthecard.com
Comment by NarcAnonymous — March 7, 2008 @ 12:09 am
I find this story very sad. This sounds like a story about a woman who was forced into a mental institution due to depression which could have been handled (by good vitamins, chromium picolanate, etc., look it up) and whose family members successfully got her out but not before her brain and body was severely damaged by psychiatric drugs. It sounds like that when the police found her they recognized that she had mental problems and of course resorted to laws which give them the right to apprehend her.
I’m curious that if she was kidnapped by her family members then why did they release the kidnappers. Is it possible that this lady was not being held against her will after all. Of course I don’t know what medications had been given her and so I don’t know what kind of condition she was actually in.
I am curious but I can guess that the reason she ended up in a mental institution in the first place was some law which took away her right to choose not to have mental treatment which is of course various medications including psychotropic.
I would be curious as to the whole story and not just be interested in another opportunity to stage another attack on Scientology.
I am also very curious as to exactly what these “bite” marks are that are similar to Lisa McPhersons, especially as both of these women had been administered some sort of medication and we know that most if not all medications have various side effects for example liver damage (If you have a healthy liver it doesn’t show up for awhile).
Comment by Curiouser — March 7, 2008 @ 12:47 am
Well done posting this story, it was accurately and clearly presented.
Comment by Anonymous — March 7, 2008 @ 2:06 am
Number 26- Obvious $cientologist is obvious. We all know who you are. We can all tell who you represent.
I suggest you do some research of your own, research outside of the materials and information provided you by your “church.” Fact: not all health problems can be cured by auditing and vitamins.
Comment by anonymous — March 7, 2008 @ 2:10 am
The Scifags flat-out skipped reading it, or read it with the word “scientology” and “OT VIII” crossed out.
Ha.
Comment by Dio Brando — March 7, 2008 @ 2:47 am
Thanks for the article # 24. This in Martine’s own words ( as translated by moi).
“Some years ago I suffered from a severe depression. Claude took me under his care. I was hospitalized for the first time, against his advice, for five days. He made me leave; scientologist viamently fight against psychiatry. When my mother died in 2007, my other brother, Gilbert, who is also a doctor but not a scientologist, had me admitted. In August, Claude, who this time removed me from the hospital, forcibly brought me to Normandy, to a house which belonged to a scientologist. Then to Sarthe and finally to Sardaigne. It’s in Nuoro, since December, that the conditions in which I lived in became much worse. The two young people watched to ensure that I did not leave my room which was on the first floor ( upstairs) . Finally, the room was filthy with only a mattress on the floor to sleep on. In the beginning I would sleep sitting up on a trunk. The others they slept downstairs in the living room. The woman was in charge. They spoke not a word to me. To say yes they would blink their eyes. For no they would leave their eyes open. They would bring me food, essentially some CORDON BLEU (type of chicken concoction), morning, noon and evening and some fruit. To relive myself I had a chamber pot. For clothing I had only a T-Shirt. I had no means to (was not able to) wash myself. If I tried to leave my room I was forcibly pushed back.“
Also, police first on the scene “found her in a room which was covered in filth, the mattress which she slept infested with vermin, and she had but a t-shirt to wear.”
Don’t know about you guys but I wouldn’t keep my dogs living in those conditions for one day let alone 6 weeks.
Comment by Mitsu — March 7, 2008 @ 7:25 am
Thanks for #31 Mitsu. Yes, that’s an extreme version of Introspection Rundown, the Scientology ‘treatment’ for mental illness. I presume it’s from the full interview in Le Parisien, of which it’s online article is a summary.
Comment by hartley patterson — March 7, 2008 @ 10:30 am
Despicable. At least they didn’t get to cover it up and we’re living in an age where this kind of thing can be better investigated. *Looks around for OSA*
Hey, Mitsu! Haven’t seen you in awhile! Good to see you again!
Comment by Anon — March 7, 2008 @ 10:34 am
Absolutely no excuse for these conditions and I cannot even fathom why anyone with an ounce of brain would consider this type of treatment superior to an accredited facility. Any hospital or treatment facility would be held criminally responsible if a patient was subject to this type of abuse. Brother or no his licence to practice medicine should be revoked as he removed her from the hospital against her wishes and acted as her doctor.
Comment by Mitsu — March 7, 2008 @ 4:51 pm
[…] info: - Arnie Lerma on the case - Glosslip article - translation of Italian article, from alt.religion.scientology - Lisa McPherson […]
Pingback by Martine Boublil « The Temple of Xenu — March 11, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
Whoa, guys!
Just cause some idjits that belong to church “A” are get into an illegal domestic abuse situation, do you automatically say their church is guilty??
Do you do that when you read about Cosa Nostra or Irish hoods in Boston? Does every Protestant family with domestic violence get this kind of treatment?
We don’t have all the facts but, granted, the brother *looks* guilty. If he can get a fair trial in France (dubious) and if he actually *IS* guilty, I vote for jail time.
But it also looks to me like this whole board is exceedingly eager to jump to the unproven conclusion that the guy’s church is responsible. Unproven.
Wait till the case is made in court, then talk. Otherwise, you’re not dealing in reality, just your emotions.
And don’t think that her bro has a snowball’s chance in hell of getting impartiality in a French or Italian court, if evidence is circumstantial. If it’s fact-based evidence, then slam the door on him.
Comment by CalorieCounter — March 24, 2008 @ 6:20 pm