Italy Throws Out "Mental Manipulation" Bill

Proposed legislation drew comparisons with Italian fascism’s plagio law

ROME — Taking a strong and clear-cut position the Italian Senate confirmed today that a bill to criminalize so called “mental manipulation” has been permanently removed from the Orders of the Day of the Italian Senate because a majority of parties’ members consider this bill a threat to human rights and religious freedom.

The controversial legislation, first proposed a few years ago, has faced heavy criticism since day one from religious, civil and psychological organizations. Many politicians also foresaw the inherent danger to the basic freedoms of all citizens if the vague and inconsistent concept of “mental manipulation” were made a criminal offence. In fact, if passed the law would virtually have affected all interpersonal relations: teacher-student, doctor-patient, priest-penitent, and parents-sons, just to name a few.

Controversy also focused on the fact that “mental manipulation” was essentially the same as the notorious crime of plagio introduced in the Italian penal code by Mussolini’s fascist regime. Advocates of the “mental manipulation” bill ignored the historic ruling of the Italian Constitutional Court in 1981, canceling plagio from the penal code and from Italian democracy.

The Church of Scientology International European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights, which opposed this bill from the beginning in the name of religious freedom, today applauded the Senate’s decision. “The Italian Senate acted to protect human rights and freedom by rejecting this attempt to resurrect the repressive spirit of the Mussolini era,” said Fabio Amicarelli, Office Director.

The Italian Senate’s decision is expected to act as a precedent in defeating similar bills that have been proposed in other parts of Europe.

“We are particularly concerned with Belgium, where no less than four so-called plagio bills are moving through Parliament. We will be working with other groups and organization to alert legislators and citizens so they take action to defeat these threats to human rights,” added Amicarelli.

The Church’s European Office for Public Affairs and Human Rights was established in 2003 to coordinate the human rights and social betterment programs of the Church throughout Europe.