As a preamble, let us recall that “the reduction into slavery and the exploitation of persons reduced to slavery” is a crime of personal injury and punishable by 20 years of criminal imprisonment in many countries, including France and Canada. No complaint, investigation or conviction for such heinous and criminal acts exists. The Raelian Movement and its founder, Rael, remind us, as they have done for 50 years, that it is essential and encouraged to immediately report to the police and judicial authorities any acts of violence, including sexual violence, of which a person could be a victim or witness. Not doing so, as a witness, is failure to assist a person in danger. And there is still a lot to be done to ensure that their words be heard with dignity by those authorities in many countries, including France and Canada.
The Raelian philosophy is based on absolute non-violence, which actually includes unconditional respect for others, their integrity, their choices, and obviously therefore consent. This concerns all forms of violence: physical, psychological, sexual.
Would the public be so accustomed to media flares, distorting, spreading rumors about Raelian women and their spiritual leader, to the point that yet another line needs to be crossed in this escalation of hatred of religious minorities and the quest for audience? Extremely serious comments are being reported and relayed on social networks, of a journalist who, more than 20 years ago, alleged sexual slavery of women within the Raelian Movement, under the cover of a pseudo-infiltration which was unmasked at the time by the organizers, because it was so ridiculous and not credible.
Following the massive dissemination of this information, to date very few journalists have dared to do their work, to get their information from the source with the aim of contradictory reporting. What do they fear? To commit a serious crime: the illegal practice of Truth ?
The seriousness and scope of this accusation demand a right of reply. It is being made clear that legal recourses will be exercised, within the framework appropriate to each country.
Slavery in all its forms, whether it be sexual slavery or any other form of slavery, is abhorrent, both to the Raelian Movement as an organization and to every individual Raelian, wherever located. It is completely contrary to our philosophy, which is based on respect for oneself and others, absolute non-violence, and accountability.
The subject of slavery and sexual slavery is neither a trivial nor a fun subject, and certainly MUST not be approached lightly.
If the person echoing this knows of cases or of a truth about sexual slavery, they MUST directly contact the police in the country where they are. Doesn’t, not doing so, not reporting a presumed crime to the authorities make them responsible for failing to report a crime? Unless their only goal is to gain publicity, by knowingly discriminating against a group and its leader.
In any case, their responsibility is considerable: either they have knowledge of facts and therefore MUST denounce them, or they take responsibility for accusing people of the worst crimes, without proof, as the media did, in dark periods of history, accusing the Jews of infamous crimes.
Slavery is a crime and MUST be reported. The fact that the accusing person did not provide this crucial service to humanity, apparently without having gone to the police, says a lot about their values.
It is clear that the truth rarely sells television programs or newspapers. It is therefore tempting to add the terms “sex” and “slavery” to sell a product that the public apparently wants to see. This is a juicy accusation for people who do not realize its seriousness.
The truth is, if a story was done on Santa Claus that actually depicted the truth, who would watch it and find any interest in it ?
Let’s imagine that, for this story, unhappy or vulnerable people are eagerly sought out and are willing to state, for whatever reason, that they have « heard that Santa Claus keeps sex slaves, organizes orgies and likes sex”, for all that, would this make it a truth ?
In any case, if there is a fact, it is a human duty to immediately report it to the police. Glenn Carter, head of the Raelian Movement in the United Kingdom, reminded a journalist that “Personally, I will go to the police the following second, and I will never let a situation of slavery persist: providing evidence to be of service to the person suffering from a crime that I can put an end to, or freeing that person from it, is a human duty.” This is what every human being MUST do.
The story of a journalist relating to a period going back more than 20 years and her attitude is particularly revealing: what has she been doing all these years?
If there were really a danger, why didn’t she go to the police and judicial authorities ?
In this climate of incitement to hatred, the media fail to point out that RAEL has never been prosecuted for acts of this nature, or for any other unlawful or criminal acts. Claiming authority in the anti-sect witch-hunt, would the media and other bodies, when speaking of “exile”, suggest any kind of escape?
These elements reflect a situation of religious racism and discrimination which continues to rage in countries such as France and Quebec. Insults and death threats were made against the Raelians and their spiritual guide, and are at the origin of the forced exile of members of religious minorities.
When one sinisterly notes the low consideration given to the life of an Iraqi child or a child from Gaza, or that of a « migrant » dying in the Mediterranean, in the eyes of many politicians and the media, that of a Raelian and his family is much less.
And what about adversarial debate and freedom of expression? Or simply freedoms? In 1992, Raël wrote the book Religious racism financed by the socialist government, in which he deciphers the inquisitive policy of spelling the death of Human Rights in France (free download, in French only: rael.org/fr/ebook/racisme-socialiste).
Fanatics of freedom: yes, the Raelian philosophy advocates freedom on all levels, including sexual freedom. Above all, it encourages the freedom to be oneself, happy, fulfilled in one’s sexuality, whether it be in a polyamorous relationship, exclusive with one partner, in heterosexuality or homosexuality, bisexuality, or without a partner… A choice which only has to do with individual freedom and one’s privacy. All forms of sexuality are possible, with absolute respect for the people involved in the relationship, their consent, and within the framework of the laws in force. These are the foundations of true sexual freedom. This freedom is also that of having children or not, of joining the Raelian Movement or leaving it, of working in the sex industry or not, of contributing financially or not, of getting involved in the religious Order of Angels or not, to leave it or not. These are personal choices, made by consenting adults.
Nicole Bertrand, spokesperson for the Raelian Church of Canada, stated in April 2023: “The lies regularly conveyed by the media, in Quebec in particular, are numerous: human trafficking, exploitation of women, misogyny, to name just a few”.
The Raelian Movement is not above the law, and alleged victims who want to testify about abuse of any kind have already been invited in the past to report these crimes to the authorities concerned. This is once again an opportunity to let this be reminded.
Freedom goes hand in hand with responsibility: that of reporting duly proven reprehensible acts to the competent authorities is part of this.
In addition, let’s remember that :
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One of the “witnesses”, Jean Parraga, appearing on the set of a television show, Ciel mon Mardi, broadcast in 1991, is a violent convict whose Raelian wife left him. He was convicted of pimping. His fight against sects helped him cover these activities by creating an association of which an honorary member was the assistant to the host of this television show, Christophe Dechavanne. There is no mention of these facts nor of the convictions which followed this “fabricated”, “staged” broadcast. In the cacophony which was arranged on the set, who heard Rael express with the greatest authority: I agree with you (we have no right to touch children)? Who heard that the children (of the “witness”) are with their mother (and not in the community, which does not exist, since there is no Raelian community)?
On this subject, the truth about this affair can be read in the chapter “The media-liars” in Raël’s book published in 1992: Religious racism financed by the socialist government (free download, in French only: rael.org/fr/ebook/racisme-socialiste)
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In a case mentioned, George Fenech, former magistrate, made a notable error: it was not two Raelians but a Catholic man and a Raelian man who were convicted of the crime of rape of an 11-year-old girl, in the context of a strictly private evening. The police and judicial authorities duly carried out their work. This has nothing to do with the Raelian Movement and it has not been involved.
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Methods consisting of filming people, in a private setting, characterize an illegal invasion of privacy. Unfortunately, the possibility of issuing an injunction to stop the broadcasting remains difficult to implement to this day. Even if a victim wins compensation, the moral damage and reputational damage has already been done to the individual since the lies of the media will remain forever in people’s minds, poisoning the public opinion conditioned by these hoaxers.
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With testimonies, we were able to note that the « infiltrators » gave of themselves by appreciating relationships it seems, consensual, or if they were not, what are they waiting for to mention it to their employer or to file a complaint ?
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Rael has never been prosecuted or involved. However, the authorities haven’t failed to deploy resources over these decades, undoubtedly with the objective of dismantling a so-called international pedophilia network which never existed. Should these resources not be implemented within the Catholic Church: 216,000 victims, members of the French Catholic Church, and up to 330,000 victims considering sexual abuse committed by lay people working in institutions of the Catholic Church (chaplaincy, teachers in schools, youth movements). Which places the Catholic institution as more dangerous than the education or sports sector… and just after families.
Bernadette Rigal-Cellard, Professor Emerita of North American Studies and Sciences of Religions and Societies, brings her expertise on the question: Can the Raelian Movement be defined as a religion? (in French only) https://rael-justice.org/le-mouvement-raelien-peut-il-etre-defini-en-tant-que-religion/?lang=fr
