CHURCH

OF

SCIENTOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
9 November 2011

Steve Cannane Australian Broadcast Corporation Email: Cannane.Steve@abc.net.au

Dear Steve, You will have received a letter from our lawyers in relation to a confidentiality agreement in place between the Church and Valeska Paris. Without prejudice to the Churchs rights arising under the confidentiality agreement and in view of the intended broadcast, the Church wishes to formally respond to these allegations. Put bluntly, your request is ridiculous. Valeska Paris was a crew member aboard a ship. All passports of crew members were held by the Port Captain in accordance with maritime regulations so they can be stamped in and out of ports as the ship sailed. Valeska left the ship hundreds of times to go shopping, for outings with her husband on islands such as Aruba, St. Barts and Curaao, as well as for numerous other reasons while aboard. In 2001, she hosted six members of her husbands family. She participated in extended projects in the UK, US and Denmark. She certainly wasnt forced to be there. She was also never forced to perform labor in the engine room. The Freewinds is a wonderful place, as even Valeska said on numerous occasions. Her allegation that she could only leave the ship with an escort is totally false. Any decision Valeska made with respect to whether she communicated with her mother was her decision alone. This is a fact supported by documentation. Valeska was one of thousands of members of the Sea Organization, the Churchs religious order, and was a steward in our hotel aboard the ship and in a hotel at our
_______________________________________________________ 6331 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 1200, Los Angeles, CA 90028-6329 USA Telephone: +1 (323) 960-3500 Fax: +1 (323) 960-3508/9

Page 2 religious retreat in Clearwater. She was also a Scientology auditor briefly, however her certificates were cancelled for violations of the Auditors Code. As to the allegations concerning Mr. Miscavige, it is ludicrous to suggest that someone in Valeskas position had a close and personal relationship with the ecclesiastical leader of the religion. Those allegations are denied. Valeska started a relationship with Chris Guider (another unreliable source) and chose to leave the Sea Organization to have a baby. She left the Church on amicable terms and the Church gave her assistance to set up her new life, care for her baby. We wished her well. That she now is attacking her former religion and former friends and fabricating these stories speaks volumes about her. She is a true apostate. So there is no doubt as to our position: Valeska is lying to you. She is an unreliable source. It would be wholly irresponsible for Lateline to broadcast these spurious and uncorroborated claims. It would do so at its own risk. Your source is doing this because she and Chris Guider apparently cannot get their life in order and move on. For them, it is sad. For ABC, it is dishonest to pretend this is a news story. Best regards,

Karin Pouw