Letter to the Editor: East Bay Express, published September 24, 2003

Scientology Lies > My Writings > Letter to the Editor: East Bay Express, published September 24, 2003

(I wrote in response to an article about a horribly abusive cult in Berkeley - a tiny cult, that involved extensive sexual abuse of minors in addition to a coercive atmosphere.)

Thanks for Katy St. Clair's excellent story on surviving an abusive cult.

As Webmaster of www.scientology-lies.com, I regularly hear from people who have been hurt by a coercive group. The appalling betrayal can take years to heal -- especially for those who lose family ties and longtime friendships (not to mention staggering sums of money) as a result of their involvement. As with so many forms of abuse, victims often feel stigmatized and alone. Getting the word out -- especially through individual stories, and especially through the media -- is tremendously helpful in replacing stigmatization with understanding.

I'm grateful to Piero and Cybele for telling their stories, to the remarkable Ms. St. Clair for a fine piece of reporting, and to the Express for bringing it to us.

Kristi Wachter, San Francisco

This page was last updated on June 21, 2004.