In Norway, a 71 year old grandpa has been sentenced to 11 months jail and a fee og several thousands dollars for having molested his 8 and 10 year old grand-daughters. He wanted to have his sentence reduced because of having been disfellowshipped from the JWs. The court did not find that to be a reason to reduce his sentence. He voluntarily went to the police accompanied by a congregation elder in order to report himselv. The police was not aware of his criminal acts before he reported himself. In Denmark some time ago, a couple also reported a brother the police for having molested their boy at the Kingdom Hall. So it seems, that in Scandinavia, such things are not always kept within the congregations. It might be that the influence due to groups like Silentlambs, have been influencing the witnesses to take a more pro-active stand on this issues.
Grandpa turned in to police by JW elders
by InquiryMan 18 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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InquiryMan
Maybe my subject heading was a bit sensational. According to the newspaper report he was accompanied by one elder. Whether he wanted to turn himselv in by his own initiative or being persuaded to do by the congregation elders was not stated in the newspaper.
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carla
Maybe my subject heading was a bit sensational----Yes, it was. And not true.
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greendawn
I think JW actions also depend a lot on their national background and culture, perhaps in some countries outside the USA child abuse is not common or tolerated as much by the other JWs. But I am surprised he only got 11 months for molesting two little girls.
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InquiryMan
The punishment is not so severe for various crimes in Scandinavia as in e.g. the US. Maximum penalty even for multiple manslaughter is 21 yrs, most are released after 12 yrs imprisonment. I am sorry if my subject heading had the wrong wording. That was not initial intention. I realized it when I looked back to my posting, but then unable to edit it. Hence my 2nd posting on this topic. Why was it wrong. It does state that an elder did accompany him to the police. That is a positive involvement in fulfilling also an obligation to report to the police what has happened in an active way, and not only do a punitive reaction within the congregation.
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Saoirse
I'm glad that he served time though I wish it had been longer than 11 months. I personally think that they should be stoned or used for medical experiments. I hope the girls are ok now and they are getting help.
He wanted to have his sentence reduced because of having been disfellowshipped from the JWs.
Give me a break.
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InquiryMan
He stated that he had been punished enough being deprived of his congregation benefits and friends. In fact, there has been instances, when a DF has been a factor in a person getting a reduced sentence.
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Saoirse
Maximum penalty even for multiple manslaughter is 21 yrs, most are released after 12 yrs imprisonment.
Only 12 years? Wow. We Americans often complain that our laws aren't tough enough.
Would that also apply to a serial killer such as Jeffrey Dahmer or BTK? Those creeps have no business ever being set free.
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Saoirse
In fact, there has been instances, when a DF has been a factor in a person getting a reduced sentence.
That's interesting. Do you have any links to news articles?
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Hellrider
Aha, news from Norway! I actually haven`t seen this, but I`ll look around and see what I can find. No, it`s not because of SilentLambs! It`s because the pedophilia-scandal hit pretty late up here in Northern Europe! It didn`t make the news until about a year ago, when swedish TV made a documentary called "Jehovahs Witnesses - the pedophiles paradise" (or something like that)! It was shown in Norway too, and I ran into an older JW-couple downtown, the day after it aired (lol, would have though they would have laid low for a while, ha ha), they had been out preaching, and I took the opportunity to ask them some questions. I asked: Did you see the documentary last night, and if so, what did you think? The lady was actually pretty nice, she tried to give a balanced view of it all, but refused to acknowledge that the Societys policies had anything to do with it, of course. But she also said that they had encountered this problem themselves, within their own family, and they had reported it (and her husband was an elder). Well anyway, yes, I think they are taking this a bit more seriously now, but if so, it`s a new development. I know of a case in the 70s and 80s which involved our congregation, in which the guy (a CO !!) was DFed, reinstated, then DFed again, after he had molested some non-JW-kids too. It wasn`t until he did that he got reported to the police. By then he had molested who knows how many dozens of JW-children. And the TV-docmuentary had many, many cases that they brought up, at least one of which involved an elder-perpetrator. I think the reasons why they might be taking this more seriously now, are as follows:
First of all...we are far, far away from Brooklyn! I was a bit shocked when I first joined this board, cause everyone were talking about the WTS, not the JWs. That is, they were referring to the WTS all the time. It`s not like that here. They are JWs, period, they have no "personal relationship" with the WTS. So to be reproved "from the top", it\ s a "long chain of command" I think.
Second: People here are generally well educated. Of course JWs usually abstain from higher education, but even among them, there are people with higher education, perhaps %-wise more than in most other countries.
Thirdly: The media-focus on this, especially the documentary from a year ago.
Could I ask, where did you hear about this? I`ve been looking thru the papers now, but I can`t find it...
Maximum penalty even for multiple manslaughter is 21 yrs, most are released after 12 yrs imprisonment.
Only 12 years? Wow. We Americans often complain that our laws aren't tough enough.Would that also apply to a serial killer such as Jeffrey Dahmer or BTK? Those creeps have no business ever being set free.
Oh yes, you are right, the sentences in my country are pathetic. So this guy got 11 months, that`s pretty much average for this kind of crime, yes. About 21 years for murder: Yes, it`s true that a person would serve perhaps only 12 (actual) years for this. This is because the norwegian "prison year" only lasts for 9 months....I know it might sound strange, but that`s the way it is. So 21 9-month-years - a couple of years for good behaviour, then you`ll get out after around 12. It`s ridicolous. My country is run by heart-bleeding liberals who feel more sympathy with the criminals than with the victims. And of course, this is very much contrary to how the overall population feels about this! And that is one of the reasons why the fastest growing political party in my country is a very, very right-wing party (like Le Pens in France, and similar parties).