No Basis for Suspicion
The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) again proposes discontinuing its Special Reporting Service on Scientology, stating that the findings obtained to date “do not give rise to any suspicion of unconstitutional conduct by the ‘Scientology Church.’”
The BKA review also states that reports received had “yielded no indications of criminal conduct by the Scientology Organization.” It concludes that the Church’s public activities from 1999 to 2002 were “duly registered and conducted in accordance with the legislation applicable” in the German federal states, that the findings gathered since 1997 were “not sufficient to substantiate that the Church of Scientology may be unconstitutional” and that the reporting service should be ended because those findings “have not led to the establishment of criminal conduct on the part of the Scientology Organization.”
THE DOCUMENT
Wiesbaden, 25 June 2003
Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization
Decision Paper on Further Action
1. Purpose of the Paper
Decision on the continuation of the Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization
2. Reason
has proposed discontinuing the police Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization, since the findings obtained to date do not give rise to any suspicion of unconstitutional conduct by the “Scientology Church.”
Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that questions may be raised by the German federal states or in parliamentary circles regarding the continuation of the Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization.
3. Status/Background
The Criminal Police Working Group adopted , in execution of an assignment from Working Group II, the decision that the state criminal police offices would provide the Federal Criminal Police Office with all information on criminal offenses of the Scientology Organization—initially limited to one year—and that the Federal Criminal Police Office would ensure its analysis.
the Criminal Police Working Group took note of the Federal Criminal Police Office’s report about the “Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization (as of 26.08.96),” with the result that this Special Reporting Service would initially be continued for a further year and that its effectiveness would then be reviewed again after submission of another report.
The Conference of Ministers of the Interior , on the basis of the report of the working group of the Offices for the Protection of the Constitution, decided that the legal requirements for observation of the Scientology Organization by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution were met, since there were factual indications of efforts by this organization directed against the free democratic basic order.
Following approval by the Criminal Police Working Group, the State Security Division of the Federal Criminal Police Office assumed responsibility on 15.12.97 for analyzing the “Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization.”
The State Security Commission (K ST) found that the volume of reports received to date had yielded no indications of criminal conduct by the Scientology Organization. It was proposed that the police Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization be discontinued. In addition, the State Offices and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution should, within their respective jurisdiction, monitor the political intentions and activities of the Scientology Organization prior to criminal acts. The Criminal Investigation Department Working Group was asked to take note and approve.
The Criminal Police Working Group took note of the Federal Criminal Police Office report about the “Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization (as of 18.01.00)” and asked the Federal Criminal Police Office to report on the volume of reports received and the evaluation results within the framework of the Special Reporting Service.
In implementation of the assignment , the Federal Criminal Police Office submitted the report “Special Reporting Service on Scientology ” to the Criminal Police Working Group. Among other things, the report reaches the following conclusion:
During the reporting period (1999–2002), no state security investigations were conducted nationwide against the Scientology Organization or its members/supporters.
The public activities carried out by the Scientology Organization were duly registered and conducted in accordance with the legislation applicable in the individual German federal states.
The findings obtained through the Special Reporting Service since 1997 are not sufficient to substantiate that the Church of Scientology may be unconstitutional.
It is proposed that the police Special Reporting Service on Criminal Offenses by the Scientology Organization be discontinued, since the findings obtained through it have not led to the establishment of criminal conduct on the part of the Scientology Organization as a whole.
The Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior submitted the report on an expert opinion from Bavaria concerning the Scientology Organization, together with a set of demands for additional measures. The Conference of Ministers of the Interior took note of the report and the Bavarian set of demands for additional measures, but rejected any further measures.
4. Options
Maintain the status quo
Submission of a draft resolution to discontinue the Special Reporting Service in the Criminal Police Working Group
5. Recommendation of LS 3
By order
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