The Church of Scientology has issued a statement following the sentencing of actor and Scientologist Danny Masterson.
On Thursday, the 47-year-old That '70s Show star was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being found guilty of raping two women back in 2003.
The Church of Scientology became a central topic in Masterson's initial trial and retrial, since he is a prominent member. All three of Masterson's accusers are also former church members, who claimed in testimonies that church officials discouraged them from going to the police to report the crimes.
Speaking of her time with the church, one of Masterson's victims - identified as Jane Doe #1 - told the court last year: "My understanding, my entire life, was that you can never be a victim [...] Nothing ever happens to you that you didn’t cause. No matter what condition you find yourself in life, no matter how horrible, you are responsible. You created that."
And actress Leah Remini - a former Scientologist-turned-critic who attended Masterson's sentencing - has also taken aim at the religious group in a damning statement on social media.
"Over the past seven decades, former Scientologists have sadly become used to Scientology using its financial resources, religious protection, and relationships to snatch justice away from them," the King of Queens star wrote in her response to Masterson's sentencing. "For over two decades, Danny Masterson avoided accountability for his crimes.
"While Danny was the only one sentenced, his conviction and sentence are indictments against Scientology, its operatives, and its criminal leader, David Miscavige.
"Scientology managed to cover up Danny's crimes with the help of its intelligence agency, the Office of Special Affairs, top "church" officials like Kirsten Caetano Pedersen and Julian Swartz, its network of media-hungry unethical attorneys, private investigators, agents, and civilian Scientologists who engaged in a conspiracy to cover up crimes of sexual violence."
Additionally, Masterson's former girlfriend and accuser Chrissie Carnell-Bixler - a former Scientologist herself - also shared a statement after the sentencing, in which she said: "Danny Masterson will never harm another woman for as long as he shall live. To all the victims of Scientology, we aren’t finished, yet."
In response to the outrage, The Church of Scientology has released a statement to Us Weekly, describing the introduction of religion into Masterson's trial as an "unprecedented violation of the First Amendment."
The Church contends that the prosecution's focus on Scientology affects not just Masterson's case but also the "due process rights of every American."
For those unfamiliar, the First Amendment protects the freedom of religion, among other liberties. By arguing that the case was tinged with religious bias, the Church suggests that this conviction could set a precedent that undermines this constitutional safeguard for all Americans.
And responding to the allegations that it had attempted to cover up crimes of sexual violence, the Church emphasized: "There is not a scintilla of evidence supporting the scandalous allegations that the Church harassed the accusers." They further declared that "every single instance of supposed harassment by the Church is FALSE, and has been debunked."
