Escape is a Christian ministry founded by Bonnie and myself in 1992 primarily to help families who have loved ones involved in Scientology. We were both former members. Bonnie had spent eight years as a member in the USA and managed to escape in 1981. She had reached the ‘higher levels’ and was a committed member of the organisation, working for them at their headquarters in Los Angeles, California, USA.

A serious illness, aggravated by the extreme working conditions, required major surgery and this proved to be the catalyst by which she was able to escape. I was a public scientologist at the time and was instrumental in ensuring enough time was given to Bonnie out of the grasp of the organisation for a complete recovery from surgery and a resumption to a normal life.

We eventually married and left the USA to live in England. However it wasn’t until some ten years after leaving the cult that our lives changed dramatically when we both became committed Christians. We both felt that God had placed a calling on our lives to help families and loved ones involved in Scientology and formed an organisation called ESCAPE.

Since then we have helped over seven hundred families and individuals in providing positive strategies and advice in order to overcome the many complex situations that derive from cultic behaviour.

Without any help, the majority all too often find it a long and painful road to travel ending in turmoil, enstrangement, and sometimes disaster.

Our objective is to address the difficult and often misunderstood implications surrounding a loved one becoming involved in Scientology. Our advice in most cases is to be active and not passive. We believe in part, that an active role is first achieved by insisting that the organisation act in a responsible and moral way towards families and their members. Also there should be accountabilty for any damage caused, not only to the member involved, but to the whole family. We consider it the right of all families concerned to be able to do this without the fear or threat of damaging any future relationship with the member.