Scientology-linked UK drug rehabilitation center investigated by charity watchdog

A Scientology-linked addiction charity accused of subjecting vulnerable people to psychological exercises that left them “broken” and “traumatized” is being investigated by the UK’s charities watchdog.

The Charity Commission said it had opened a regulatory compliance case at Narconon UK, which claims to help people become “drug free for good” and was promoted on the NHS website, to address concerns about its “governance, administration and management”.

The case comes after one Observer investigation last month raised questions about practices at a facility run by Narconon in Heathfield, East Sussex. Former program participants were given intensive exercises, similar to a form of “obedience training.”

Former patients and staff described how people were expected to follow repetitive commands, such as pointing at objects, sitting completely still, or answering the same question “over and over again” for hours. Some described experiencing extreme reactions to the exercises, such as panic, freaking out, or going into trance-like states.

One person said it felt like his mind had been “broken into a million pieces.” Another said: ‘You are helpless there, and the only way out is blind submission or lose thousands of pounds. If I had any idea of ​​what the program actually entailed, I would never have signed up.”

Narconon UK said the allegations were “inaccurate, misleading and thoroughly distorted”, adding that it was a “world leader” in rehabilitation and had saved thousands of lives. It said his approach required discipline and was “mentally taxing”, but denied it was harmful. Narconon’s UK manager Sheila Maclean said the exercises were designed to teach participants self-determinism, self-control and discipline, and help them break free from destructive habits. “These phases are not easy, but our feedback has been extremely positive and the results speak for themselves,” she said.

The Charity Commission said its case would look at safeguarding concerns raised in the media, and investigating “the governance, administration and management of the charity, including the filing of its annual accounts and returns”.

A case is not a finding of wrongdoing, but may lead to further investigation or a legal investigation. If there is an abuse or misconduct, the watchdog can take enforcement action.

A spokesperson said: “We are in discussions with the liquidators. A good cause must be a safe and trusted environment. As a regulator, we are clear that protecting people must be a priority for all charities.”

Narconon was launched in the US in 1966 and is billed as a “holistic, non-medical and secular” approach to rehabilitation. The residential program lasts three to four months, costs around £15,000 and is based on the belief of Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard that toxic drug residues lodge in the body and form a “biochemical barrier to spiritual wellbeing”.

To remove them, patients – called students by Narconon – complete a “purge regimen” that includes five-hour sauna sessions, treadmill exercises and high doses of vitamins. Later they do psychological exercises and a ‘life skills’ course. The goal is to achieve a “clear body” and a “clear mind”.

The Observer spoke to nine people with knowledge of Narconon’s activities in Britain, including former participants and employees, who described people undergoing weeks of psychological exercises lasting up to five hours a day.

Witnesses described how some participants became paranoid, anxious or acutely distressed. “I saw people screaming and shouting. Physical outbursts. Some people laughed, some cried,” one person said.

Others are said to have entered a hypnotic or trance-like state, “pulling away” or experiencing “depersonalization.”

The Observer Investigations also uncovered allegations that some participants had been misled about the extent of the programme’s ties to wider Scientology, and raised questions about how the program had operated without oversight from Britain’s healthcare watchdog.

A Freedom of Information request revealed that the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had received 19 complaints about Narconon, but had not investigated 14 because it deemed them outside its remit.

The Narconon program has never been assessed by the CQC to ensure it is safe. It was said this was because the Narconon programme, although it oversees substance abuse services in England, was “alternative” and therefore outside its scope.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it was now in “active discussion” with the (CQC) “about the status of this center and the next regulatory steps”. It added: “The CQC is assessing the provider, has visited the facility and will write to them to advise them of its decision.”

The CQC has since suspended a previous ‘good’ rating for the facility, which related to the provision of personal care, and added a note saying it is currently inactive. “The only part of the service provided at this CQC registered and regulated venue is personal care accommodation. We do not regulate the rehabilitation program offered or assess its effectiveness,” the report says.

Narconon said it “does not currently provide a service within the remit of the CQC”. It denied downplaying the connection with Scientology and said it was open about the link with Hubbard, whose work, it said, had “positive secular application.”

“Even the best-run services have their critics,” says Maclean.