Lydia Hadjara fled the sect of Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, almost 15 years ago. In the portrait of Audrey Crespo-Mara, broadcast in the show Sept à quatre on TF1, she details the influence that the guru had over her members.
The testimony is chilling. For more than twenty years, Lydia Hadjara lived in the sect of Claude Vorilhon, known as Raël, this Frenchman who proclaimed himself a prophet. Behind the folklore around the guru – we gently mock his alleged encounters with extraterrestrials – there are real tragedies. In a book, “I was his slave” (City Éditions), she recounts the abuse she allegedly suffered. His testimony was broadcast this Sunday in the portrait of Audrey Crespo-Mara, broadcast in the program “Sept à quatre” on TF1.
It all started when she was four years old. She joins the sect with her parent, whom she refuses to call her mother. “She gave birth to me. But, in my eyes, she never had the role of mother,” she explains. Raël presents himself as a prophet, brother of Jesus and Mohammed, and claims to have encountered extraterrestrials. “I called him my prophet, sometimes my beloved prophet. In his books, it is written that children must be awakened to sexuality very early […] I was 9 years old when I had my first contact with Raël. I'm by the pool, he comes to see me. It was like I had seen Mickey. He was introduced to me as the prophet, the brother of Jesus. I was fascinated. » Her mother is proud.
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“Sex slave”
The rest is hell. Lydia accuses members of the sect of having subjected her to sexual abuse. The guru also allegedly raped her and made her “his sex slave”. Facts that Raël has always denied – aged 78, he now lives in Japan. How can we explain such influence? “He is very intelligent, very egocentric. Everything revolves around him, he's a born manipulator. Even when we catch him lying, we end up believing that the mistake comes from us. And then, he’s angry,” she confides.
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His ordeal ended at the age of 25. She manages to escape from the sect, but does not press charges. “For me, he was untouchable. And until recently, to be honest, I thought it was my fault,” she admits. However, Raël still “haunts” her. She has nightmares “so intense that, to prove to myself that I am awake, I touch my bed, the walls, I get up […] and I'm going to wash. » Lydia hasn't spoken to her mother in sixteen years. She is still a follower of the sect.
