A report from the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Abuses made to Marlène Schiappa, the Minister in charge of Citizenship, makes the link between the health crisis and the rise of self-proclaimed specialist gurus in alternative medicine.

From now on, the minister intends to make the fight against sects a political fight.

INVESTIGATION

Covid-19 is a favorable breeding ground for sectarian aberrations.

This is one of the findings of the report commissioned by Marlène Schiappa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of the Interior, in charge of Citizenship, last October.

Some gurus deny the existence of the virus, while others claim to cure their followers with prayers.

The Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight Against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes) received more than 3,000 reports last year, an increase of 7% compared to 2019, which is partly explained by the fears generated by the global pandemic.

A challenge to the health measures put in place in the face of Covid-19

Indeed, nearly 40% of these reports concern the field of health and well-being.

Several gurus, already installed in the landscape of alternative medicine, are now speaking out against wearing a mask or against vaccination.

This is particularly the case of the Belgian Jean-Jacques Crèvecœur, who brings together 300,000 subscribers on Facebook, and who claims to denounce a plot around 5G, which he said was the origin of the appearance of the virus.

Other movements interpret the health crisis as a foreshadowing of the apocalypse.

Like the International Woman Broken Walls network, which Jeanne left a few years ago: "For them, the end of the world is imminent. They see the coronavirus as physical confirmation that there is a change in the course of things", she reports to Europe 1. "More than ever, they are highlighting the inability of governments, or even their desire to harm the individual."

This association is currently in the sights of Miviludes.

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Scams and extortion

The withdrawal that these organizations cause among followers is facilitated by the fact that some people feel particularly vulnerable at the moment, isolated by the health crisis and its economic repercussions.

The methods and techniques for approaching them have evolved.

The door to door has given way to handwritten letters, directly placed in letter boxes.

Videoconferencing internships and remote care are sometimes offered, all at exorbitant prices (up to 100,000 euros for individualized coaching over two years).

Commissioner Éric Bérot, head of the Central Office for the Suppression of Violence against Persons, has a service dedicated to sectarian aberrations, the investigations of which doubled last year.

"We have seen, since the confinement, appear a series of new gurus, life coaches, personal development coaches, spiritual guides, naturopaths ... Among these people, there are surely some very good people, but also others who are more dangerous, "he explains to Europe 1." These are long and complicated investigations to carry out, they can last two, three or four years, or even more, with hundreds of audits to prove the abuse of weakness of a person in a state of psychological subjection. "

Gurus whose audience is growing more and more thanks to social networks

Another particularity of the health crisis, emphasizes an investigator from the national gendarmerie referent "mental hold", is that most of these individuals now collaborate online.

"In 2020, therapy gurus all know each other, send patients, organize webinars together to denounce confinement, mask wear or vaccination."

The growing audience of these gurus is another source of concern for the authorities.

Yououtubeur Thierry Casanovas, with 520,000 subscribers, has already exceeded one million views.

Without any medical training, this Frenchman encourages his followers to fast and consume only raw foods.

He is targeted by an investigation for endangering the lives of others.

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The government's response

Faced with this observation, the government intends to make the fight against sects a political struggle.

To lead it, Marlène Schiappa intends to transform what was until then a simple tool, the Miviludes, into a weapon.

"Before, it was an observatory. From now on, it will have political objectives", we confide in the entourage of the minister.

La Miviludes, long managed by Matignon as one file among others on the Prime Minister's office, therefore landed at Place Beauvau.

Marlène Schiappa should appoint a magistrate at its head, to link the Mission with the judicial institution.

And to strengthen this political arm even more, the minister promises more resources and better collaboration between ministries: agents of Bercy will fight for example against the embezzlement of money, very practiced by sects.

In a circular, Marlène Schiappa also calls for the vigilance of the prefects so that they report abuses.

Politically, the Miviludes therefore becomes a device for the fight against separatism, while the law "reinforcing respect for the principles of the Republic" is still being examined in Parliament.