May 5, 2008
Scientology Takes Another Life
Family blames Scientology for daughter's death
 You've probably seen those signs for a "free stress tests" or "free personality test" on the street or in a shopping mall somewhere, and maybe you were even tempted to take one of them. For those who are unfamiliar with them, the Church of Scientology gives people free 'e-meter' tests to show that their personalities are ' broken' and can only be fixed by the Church.
The Norwegian press,  including the tabloid Verdens Gang, has reported that Kaja Bordevich Ballo, daughter of Norwegian Parliament member Olav Gunnar Ballo, reportedly took her own life (English translation here) after scoring poorly on a Scientology personality test. There is some uncertainty as to the validity of the report, but the results of the test were time-stamped just hours before Kaja’s death. The family blames the Church of Scientology (Co$) for her death. They waited two weeks and decided to go public with the story, after the test results and a suicide note were discovered.
The personality test, also called the Oxford Capacity Analysis (OCA), or American Personality Analysis, is offered free by the Co$ and comprises an integral part of their recruitment efforts. The test however, has been extensively criticized as it almost exclusively yields negative results.
Kaja Ballo was a 20-year-old student at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis located in Nice, France, and according to family and friends she was in good humor, had many friends and was enjoying her French studies. But on March 28, 2008, she was invited into a storefront Scientology center near the student housing complex where she lived, where she took the Scientology personality test.
A few hours later she reportedly killed herself by jumping from the window of her dormitory.
Her friends and roommates claim she was in good spirits and showed no signs of a mental break down or depression prior to taking the test. The test was stamped and dated by the Church just hours prior to her suicide, and said that she was "unbalanced, withdrawn and destabilized."
A fellow student claimed on national television that she "changed" after the meeting and the receipt of results of a controversial personality test she was given by the Scientologists.
"I believe Kaja would have been alive today if she had not gone to the Scientologists," says friend and fellow student Henrik Møinichen, 19, to Dagbladet.
"The information about the Scientology test has been made public through the priest's speech at the memorial service. I can confirm that. Due to the recency of her death, I don't wish to elaborate on or comment on other matters now," said Olav Ballo in a statement to the press.
 The Church, which is located only meters from Kaja's dormitory, states that their test results had shown Ballo was "depressed, irresponsible, hyper-critical and lacking in harmony." They also state that it is "unfair to blame Scientology" for Ballo's death and that the test had nothing to do with it. Kaja left behind a note telling her family she was sorry for not "being good for anything."
The incident has generated criticism against the Co$ from friends, family members and politicians. Inga Marte Thorkildsen, one of the members of Norway's Parliament, told the  Oslo newspaper Dagbladet that "All indications are that the Scientologist sect has played a direct role in Kaja's choice to take her own life."
Her uncle, Heljar Ballo, said, "We can only relate the facts, that she was doing well in France, was happy and had many good friends, and that she took this test." He confirmed that his niece had suffered a serious eating disorder when she was thirteen years old, and had received both professional help and help from family and friends.
Matthias Fosse, information chief for the Co$ in Norway, rejected any links connection between Scientology and Ballo's suicide, and denied that the personality test was "dangerous", saying "millions" of people have taken it. He claimed no one lured Ballo into taking the test, and that he was told she'd walked on her own into the Scientologists' locale in Nice. He also pointed to Ballo's earlier eating disorder and suggested that she had a history of psychiatric problems.
This is amazing in concept to this writer, since the Church of Scientology has been publicly, and often vehemently, opposed to both psychiatry and psychology since the foundation of Scientology in 1952. It offers itself as an alternative to psychiatry, which Scientologists believe to be a barbaric and corrupt profession.
Kaja's uncle claimed she had fully recovered from problems that she had as a young teen seven years ago. Her father (below) blasted Co$ information chief Fosse's remarks, telling newspaper VG that the Scientologists were tarnishing his daughter's memory and showing utter disregard for her private medical history.
Psychologist Rudy Myrvang said a test like the one administered by the Scientologists is not constructive, and rather aimed "at breaking you down, and then they'll offer to build you up again." It's a recruitment tool, he said, and a means of generating future income for the church.
A Co$ critic, Andreas Heldal-Lund agreed, claiming the Scientologists viewed people like Kaja as "'raw meat from the street.' You're told you're worth nothing."
The Co$ has removed the OCA test from it's website at www.scientology.org/ocanor.htm although main site is functioning normally.
Heljar Ballo said his family had opted to go public with Kaja's suicide in an effort to shed light on what happened. He said the family "had confidence" in the French police, and their investigation. Kaja's father, the Norwegian MP, has also hired a lawyer to pursue the matter.
Kaja was buried at Grefsen Church in Oslo on Friday, April 11th. A large group of nearly 500 friends followed her to the grave. Many were also in support during a memorial held in the Stortinget (Norway's Parliament) the same afternoon.
French police have asked Scientologists in Nice in for questioning.
How many more times are we going to see needless deaths that seem to be related to this cult? Remember Shawn Lonsdale, whose one-man crusade against Scientology made him an enemy of the church, and was found dead at his home an apparent suicide just a couple of months ago? Have we forgotten another vibrant young woman by the name of Lisa McPherson?
Sources:
Anonymous never forgives
Anonymous never forgets
Posted on 05/05/2008 5:11 AM Comments (15)
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You've probably seen those signs for a "free stress tests" or "free personality test" on the street or in a shopping mall somewhere, and maybe you were even tempted to take one of them. For those who are unfamiliar with them, the Church of Scientology gives people free 'e-meter' tests to show that their personalities are ' broken' and can only be fixed by the Church. 
