Teen accused of fatal Scientology stabbing opposed his mum undergoing ‘purification’
A teenager charged with murder following a raid on the Chatswood headquarters of the Church of Scientology has not applied for bail.
NSW
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A teenager charged with murder following a raid on the Chatswood headquarters of the Church of Scientology has not applied for bail.
The 16-year-old, who cannot legally be identified, remained in his cell electing not to appear on screen for a brief hearing at Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday where he faced five charges.
The Taiwan national is charged with murdering a Scientology member, Chih-Jen “Aaron” Yeh, by allegedly stabbing him in the neck during a confrontation at the church’s $57 million Chatswood complex on January 3, court documents revealed.
The teen is also charged with assault that caused actual bodily harm to another man, Shannan Vaughan, and one count of common assault to Penny Teng, the documents said.
He is also charged with affray in relation to Mr Vaughan and Ms Teng and a third man, Joel Lawrence.
Police are investigating whether the teen was trying to see his mother inside the complex.
Police also laid a domestic violence related common assault charge against the teen stemming from an incident on January 2.
He will return to Parramatta Childrens Court on Monday January 7.
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The teenager who allegedly went on a knife-wielding rampage at the Church of Scientology, stabbing one member fatally in the neck and slashing another, was trying to stop his mother undergoing an intense “purification” process that claims to rid the body of drugs and toxins to reach a spiritual high.
Police last night charged the teenager with murder. He did not apply for bail or appear via video link at Parramatta Children’s Court today.
The 16-year-old Chinese national, who was not a Church member, had begged his mother not to undergo the introductory Purification Rundown cleanse in an argument the night before, a source revealed.
Police believe he took a 25cm knife from the family’s Ryde home when he tried to see his mother inside the Church’s $57 million headquarters in Chatswood but was blocked by members.
A 24-year-old Taiwanese national was slashed to the throat and later died, and another man, 30, suffered cuts to his hand as they tried to escort the screaming teenager up the driveway and away from the premises on Thursday.
Police called to the scene had to draw their Tasers to get the youngster to drop his knife.
He was eventually arrested and led away by police with his hands cuffed inside evidence bags.
The young man is currently undergoing a mental health assessment program at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital before police will decide whether to charge him.
“His mother was inside the building undergoing a purification process and was told not to go outside. The son was not a member of Scientology and wasn’t happy about the cleansing course,” a source said. “They had argued about it the night before.”
The Church of Scientology in Sydney today paid tribute to the church member who died at its Chatswood headquarters on Thursday.
Church leadership also paid tribute to the second church member who was injured in the same incident and has been released from hospital.
“We are working closely with the police in relation to this matter and cannot release any further details,” a spokesperson said.
“We will continue to fully co-operate with the police in relation to their investigation.
“We want to thank the local community for all their help and support in relation to this tragic incident.”
The spokesperson said the Church was doing all it could to support the victims’ families.
The Church of Scientology’s five-day cleanse developed by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard mainly consists of regular exercise, sauna and nutrition, with industrial doses of vitamins and minerals consumed.
Some of the claims made on the Scientology website are specific, with the program purporting to improve IQ levels, boost happiness, reduce cancer-causing agents in the body, and enable weight loss easily and quickly.
The Scientology website states: “It enables an individual to rid himself of the harmful effects of drugs, toxins and other chemicals that lodge in the body and create a biochemical barrier to spiritual wellbeing.
“Virtually everyone is regularly subjected to an intake of food preservatives, pesticides, atmospheric poisons and the like.
“Add to this the panoply of medical and street drugs generally consumed and the gravity of the problem becomes obvious.
“These drugs and toxins can put an individual into a condition which not only prohibits and destroys physical health, but which can prevent any stable advancement in mental or spiritual wellbeing.”
These claims for the “Purification Rundown” are closely related to the Narconon detox program also developed by Hubbard to tackle drug and alcohol dependency.
Hubbard, a pulp-fiction writer, portrayed himself as a pioneer, innovator and nuclear physicist.
He taught followers that, at their core, is a “thetan”. After creating the universe, thetans accidentally became trapped in physical bodies and, through Scientology, they can restore immortal, godlike powers of the “thetan”.
After years of promotion, COS detox programs have become widely popular worldwide, particularly in the UK.
The opening of the Church of Scientology’s sprawling Australasian headquarters two years ago was hailed by the Church — which is anti-drugs and anti-psychiatry but believes in aliens — as a “golden age” for Sydney.
The 13,500sq me building — which was opened in September 2016 — is the largest Scientology centre outside the US.
Originally published as Teen accused of fatal Scientology stabbing opposed his mum undergoing ‘purification’
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