Former Scientologist Was Prisoner on Scientology Ship for 12 Years

The Church of Scientology, or Sea Org, as it's known, is believed to be one of the richest, most powerful and most macabre religious cults of the moment. Defector Valeska Paris certainly believes this way – and is ready to go public with her shocking story.

Now that she's out of the cult and has a normal life in Australia, Valeska feels brave enough to talk about her horrible experience – and she does so in front of the cameras, in an interview for ABC News Lateline, part of which you can see below.

Born in a family of Scientologists, Valeska saw from early years what the Church does to those who dedicate their life to it, as her father committed suicide when she was still young.

He was a self-made millionaire but died a poor man, blaming Scientology for burning through his fortune.

At 17, because her mother was leaving the church as well, Valeska was taken from her put on the Scientology ship, The Freewindsd, by the leader of the Church himself, David Miscavige.

She was told she would only be there for 2 weeks, but her stay extended to 12 years, during which time, she says, she was held prisoner against her will.

Scientologists took her passport and she could only leave the ship accompanied by one of them, so as to not attempt to run away.

“I was basically hauled in and told that my mum had attacked the church and that I needed to disconnect from her because she was suppressive,” she explains.

“[Miscavige] decided the ship, and I found out two hours before my plane left, I was woken up in the morning and I was sent to the ship for 'two weeks',” Valeska further says.

She would often be sent to the engines room whenever she voiced her desire to leave, a place she describes as smelly, really loud and unpleasant.

“I did not want to be there, I made it clear I did not want to be there and that was considered bad ethics, meaning it was considered not right,” she says.

“They take your passport when you go on the ship and you're in the middle of an island. So it's a bit hard [to escape] and by that time I was 18, I'd been in Scientology my whole life, it's not like I knew how to escape,” Valeska says of ever trying to run away.

As expected, the Church of Scientology has already issued a denial of her everything she's said and is even considering taking her to court for breaching a non disclosure agreement she signed when she joined them.

There's more on this in the video, so make sure you check it out.