Scientology leader's father convinced 'absolute power' has corrupted his son

News 9, Australia/May 26, 2016

By A Current Affair

A war of words has erupted among the first family of Scientology, with the father of the church's leader claiming his son is a paranoid control freak and a bully.

It was Ron Miscavige who introduced his son to Scientology in an attempt to help treat his severe asthma attacks.

By 12, David had become an auditor within the controversial organisation and, at 16, left home to join the sect's elite Sea Org.

He rose through the Sea Org's ranks and was eventually promoted to founder L Ron Hubbard's elite personal squad before he was even able to drink alcohol.

By the time a baby-faced David announced to the world that Hubbard had died in 1986, he had effectively elbowed his way to the top and took control.

"He saw that opening, there were no checks and balances," Mr Miscavige told A Current Affair.

But for Mr Miscavige, being the father of the head of Scientology did not mean any special treatment.

"I saw David walking with his entourage - he always had three or four people going around with him doing inspections and things," Mr Miscavige said.

"I looked over to him and I said, 'hey Dave!', and he turned around and he gave me a look that said, 'you don't do that here', and it was at that moment, on that base, that I was not his dad. I was Ron Miscavige, staff member."

After 26 years with the organisation, Mr Miscavige left with his wife Becky.

But neither Scientology nor his son were not going to let him go easily.

The “church” hired two investigators who spied on him for a year.

When the investigators thought Mr Miscavige was having a heart attack in a shopping centre car park, they called his son who allegedly told them to let his father die.

"At that moment, I realised he values his own position of power more than he valued his father," Mr Miscavige said.

While he hopes that one day his son will bury the hatchet, he knows it is highly unlikely.

"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely, and I think this is what happened to David," he said.

To see more documents/articles regarding this group/organization/subject click here.