Summary of New York Post article by Philip Recchia (Scientology Sex Assault Nightmare, 10/2/05)
Jennifer Stewart a former member of Scientology says
she was told by a senior church staffer that the church had "ordered her" to
work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and to live with Gabriel Williams, the Chief
Supervisor of the Church of Scientology in Mountain View California.
After Williams assaulted Stewart the first night, he did so again the next,
telling her, "I'll kill you if you say anything," according to the police
report.
"Williams told me everything that was happening was my fault because I'd been
evil in a past life," said Stewart. "If I told anyone, I'd be sent to a psych
and be taken away from my family." This was a serious threat not only because of
the threat of being separated from one's family but also because Scientologists
believe that psychiatry is a source of evil.
Only after her husband, Thomas Gorman became suspicious of bruises on Stewart's
body in May 2001 did she admit what Williams had been doing, he said.
THE next day, Gorman and Stewart told Stewart's father. Michael Stewart took his
family out of the church and hid his daughter. A few days later, he told church
authorities what Williams had done.
"A deputy special affairs officer told me not to go to the police," said the
elder Stewart. "If we did, we'd lose Jennifer to child services."
While Williams was waiting for his criminal case to be heard, Stewart, who
married Gorman in 2002 and now lives with his family in San Francisco, filed a
civil suit against him and the church. That was when the threats began, they
say. On one occasion, a man phoned Gorman's father and said, "SPs don't live
long. Your son and his wife, Jennifer, will be dead soon," according to a police
report. "Who else would use the term 'SP'?" said the younger Gorman.
Such incidents continued up until three months ago, he says.