Lydia Hadjara, a former member of the Raëlian movement, filed a complaint for sexual assault, rape and corruption of minors within the context of a cult-like influenceIt aims Claude Vorilhon, better known as the Raëlas well as two followers of the movement, which is considered a cult in France. Despite the statute of limitations having expired, the 43-year-old woman primarily wants to be recognized as a victim after spending her childhood within the group and being subjected to sexual violence.
Claude Vorilhon became known by proclaiming himself "prophet of the Elohim", extraterrestrials whom he claims to have met in the Puy-de-Dôme in 1973.
A childhood marked by indoctrination and violence
During an interview on RTL, Lydia Hadjara explained that she had been indoctrinated from a very young age and was the victim of sexual assault by Raël and two of his followers. She recounted joining the movement at the age of four with her mother, who is now testifying against her. "Very quickly I was confronted with images"she says, adding that she has suffered "Touching".
At 18, she claims that Claude Vorilhon chose her for "to be an elected official"imposing exclusive sexual relations with him, as well as, according to him, with the extraterrestrials, on the day of their arrival on Earth. "At the time, I was fascinated; I thought I was incredibly lucky, I didn't think I was a slave.", says Lydia Hadjara.
She also alleges rapes committed by two other members of the movement when she was 13 and 15 years old. The abuse reportedly continued until she left the group at the age of 25.
Making her voice heard and supporting other victims
Although the statute of limitations has expired, Lydia Hadjara believes that her action "is useful"She wants to help other women who are victims of violence. "Speaking out and giving hope: we can get through this."The woman in her fifties confided that she had only recently become aware of her status as a victim: "I wasn't aware until two years ago that I was a victim; I thought I deserved it."
Today, she says she is ready to face justice. Last September, Claude Vorilhon failed to secure a conviction against Lydia Hadjara for "public insults", after she compared the guru to Adolf Hitler as part of the promotion for her book published in January. "He's a diabolical person. I put him on the same level as Hitler."she had declared on the show Clique.
Raël has also launched a second legal action against her for "defamation", in connection with the accusations made in his book. A hearing is scheduled for March 28.
A movement that is still active
According to Lydia Hadjara, the Raëlian movement still has approximately "120,000 followers worldwide today", particularly in Japan, where Claude Vorilhon now resides. The group was the subject of a four-part documentary broadcast on Netflix last year.
