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Letter to Davies Ryan De Boos

The reply letter. They stopped bothering me after this one.


David Gerard
XX Xxxxxxx Street
Prahran VIC 3181

Wednesday 14th May, 1997

Davies Ryan De Boos
attn: Ian R. Taylor
1 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

By Receipted Hand Delivery and E-mail

Dear Mr Taylor,

I am writing concerning the matter of RTC and the 'NOTs' material of the Church of Scientology, as we discussed on Thursday afternoon (8th May) by phone. (I apologise for this reply letter coming a day later than I originally said it would.)

I wish to confirm the essential points discussed:

Could you please resubmit a form of undertaking which takes into account our discussion as above, and confirms your understanding of the points covered, as detailed above.

It has also come to my attention that the Church of Scientology is distributing a leaflet, titled 'Public Warning', concerning myself. The leaflet in question is enclosed. I can establish that the leaflet has been distributed by staff of the Church of Scientology outside Queensland Institute of Technology in George Street, Brisbane on Wednesday 7th May (one of the two staff members on that occasion being Lyn Smith, Director of Special Affairs in Brisbane); at the corner of Flinders Lane and Swanston Walk in Melbourne on the evening of Friday 9th May (the enclosed leaflet was handed to me in the street by said staff member, who I then observed returning to the Church's Melbourne office); and on at least two occasions in the last few weeks outside the workplace of Stuart Riley (one of those named and pictured on the leaflet) in Brisbane. (I am presently seeking confirmation of exact times and dates of additional distribution of the leaflet by Scientology staff.) In addition, copies of the leaflet were left in my letterbox at home Monday 12th May; I am presently attempting to establish whether a substantial portion of the street or suburb was so leafleted, or just my own letterbox (and I would regard the latter as an attempt at intimidation).

Apart from their certainly being active distributing the leaflet, I believe the leaflet is published by the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology has been distributing a previous leaflet attributing itself to 'Victims of CultAware', consisting of a shorter form of an article from Freedom, a magazine published and distributed by the Church of Scientology; when Tony McClelland wrote to the Church of Scientology stating said previous leaflet's inaccuracy and asking for a retraction, staff member Vicki Hanna wrote back saying that the Church of Scientology believed the statements to be true and standing by them. The photos on the present leaflet of Rick Ross and Joseph Szimhart are identical to photos of them in Freedom; and the photos of myself, Tony McClelland and Stuart Riley were taken at a demonstration against Scientology in Sydney, at the corner of Castlereagh and York Streets on September 9th, 1996, by a Scientology staff member; fragments of picketing signs from the day can be seen in the photos of McClelland and Riley, and I was actually asked by the Scientology staff member taking photos to smile for the photo shown on the leaflet.

I consider this pamphlet is a serious libel as calculated to bring me into odium and contempt. I require an undertaking to cease distribution and recall and destroy the pamphlets, an undertaking not to publish similar material, an apology in a form to be settled, and compensation to include any costs and a mutually-agreed payment for the libel.

I request your early reply.

Yours faithfully,

[signed]

David Gerard.


Attachment: the 'Public Warning' leaflet.


[NOTs]