What was the amount of the 07 pedo settlement

boyzone

I can't find it. How much did the WT have to pay in the end?

thanks

IP_SEC

Hi,

Im not sure thats public record.

Jehovah's Witnesses Settle Abuse Cases By ROSE FRENCH Associated Press

Writer Email this story Printer friendly format May 10, 2007, 6:14 PM EDT NASHVILLE, Tenn. --

A victims' rights group released documents Thursday that showed the Jehovah's Witnesses recently settled civil suits with 16 people who claimed they were sexually abused by church elders or that church officials failed to act on abuse allegations. The group, called silentlambs, held a news conference in Nashville to demand that the denomination change its policy for responding to sex abuse reports.

Settlements were reached in late February and early March, according to court records obtained by silentlambs and posted to the group's Web site. Fourteen of the cases were filed in California; the other two were in Oregon and Texas. Details about the settlement terms could not be disclosed under confidentiality agreements negotiated between the parties, said Stephen Owens, a plaintiffs' attorney involved in the California cases.

Other cases are still pending, according to silentlambs, which couldn't say how many.

The Jehovah's Witnesses, whose headquarters are in Brooklyn, N.Y., said Thursday that they were pleased to see the lawsuits resolved, declining further comment. "Our loving heavenly Father makes it clear in his Word, the Bible, that he abhors child abuse," a statement from the denomination said. "As an organization, we will continually strive to educate families and congregations with sound Scriptural teachings that they can use to protect their children from child molesters. And we will continue to do our utmost to protect children from this horrible crime and sin."

William Bowen, silentlambs' founder, was a Jehovah's Witnesses elder from Kentucky who quit the denomination after he said it took no action against a molester. Bowen said the settlements were bittersweet. "On one hand, we're glad a few victims are finally getting some financial help," he said. "On the other hand, we're sad and worried because they've essentially been forced to give up their right to protect others by speaking out about their abuse to the public."

Bowen's group has criticized the Jehovah's Witnesses' policy that if an accused abuser denies the charge, two credible witnesses are required to establish guilt -- due to literal application of such Bible verses as Deuteronomy 19:15 ("only on the evidence of two witnesses, or of three witnesses, shall a charge be sustained"). If two witnesses are lacking, the accused is deemed innocent, charges remain confidential and -- silentlambs says -- parents who warn others are subject to disfellowshipping for slander.

Disfellowshipping is an extreme penalty that means a total cutoff of relationships by family members, friends and business associates who are Witnesses. There are about 1 million Jehovah's Witnesses in the United States, and followers are known for distributing Awake! and Watchtower magazines door-to-door.

Bowen also said Jehovah's Witnesses have a long-standing policy of not reporting molesters to police. He claims that the denomination has a secret database of accused abusers that they have not shared with law enforcement officials. "They keep putting innocent kids and unsuspecting families at risk of horrible crimes because they value their secrecy and reputations more than they value children's safety," Bowen said.

Since establishing silentlambs in 2001, Bowen says about 7,000 people who claim they were abused have contacted his group. Angelique Taylor, 42, a silentlambs member from St. Louis, said she was molested by a Jehovah's Witnesses elder when she was about 12. Taylor said she told her father, who was also an elder, and he said she was making a big deal out of nothing. "I want every elder, every Jehovah's Witness, whenever they suspect any abuse, they go to the police and tell them about the problems," Taylor said. "The devastation of sex abuse is unbelievable."

___ Associated Press reporter Allison Hoffman in San Diego contributed to this report.

IP_SEC

PS:

If its anywhere you can find it here.

http://silentlambs.org/

slimboyfat

I seem to remember we were not allowed to discuss that on this forum for some reason that eludes me. One poster claimed he was going to write a book about it and tell all. I haven't seen it listed anywhere yet though...

Gayle

The Catholic church stated (openly) recently that the Church paid $2 billion on 5,000 lawsuits, so that averages $400,000/each. With that one WTS settlement for the 16 victims and with that 'formula' the amount would possibly have come to $6.4 million.

isaacaustin

from memory...there was a thread on this where the amount on one case was leaked at roughly 750,000 and if we assume the victims of the 16 cases got the same we are talking about 12.5 million

OnTheWayOut

NBC News reported that it obtained a copy of one of the settlement documents in which an
alleged victim in one of the nine cases involving 16 victims received $781,250

That would work out to $12.5 million for 16 victims. But none of this can be firmly
substantiated.

I see things that indicate Barbara Anderson had data that showed that number but
all the links are old and the Newspaper stories no longer appear. Still, I think the
number is valid. Can't really prove it, though.

AndersonsInfo

OnTheWayOut is exactly right when he said, "NBC News reported that it obtained a copy of one of the settlement documents in which an
alleged victim in one of the nine cases involving 16 victims received $781,250. That would work out to $12.5 million for 16 victims."

When I was purchasing court records for my CD, "Secrets of Pedophilia In An American Religion," the San Diego Court records department mistakenly sent me sealed court settlement papers. Ten days later, when they realized what they had done, I was contacted and asked not to publish the papers. I was not asked to keep the figures secret so I shared the settlement amount with NBC Nightly News. I told the court that I would not publish the court papers but had sent copies of all the court documents to people who were involved with me on the compilation of material for the CD and had no control over what they did. This was accepted.

Barbara

IP_SEC

the San Diego Court records department mistakenly sent me sealed court settlement papers.

alt That is soooo funny! alt

Brothers!! isnt geehovah blessing his organization mightily today!! *applause* He will never let his people totter! He will never allow satans world to impugn his holy name!! *applause* oops...

oneairhead

Setting DA 2007 final talk from a bethelite heavy..........(This is what they wanted to say)

We are happy to report that once again Satan has been defeated in theocratic judicial warfare by settling the cases brought on the society by apostates who claim to have been molested by spirit directed elders in the congregations. (Applause)

We were able to silence these enemies of Jehovah by appealing to their greediness. (Applause)

Jehovah richly blesses his people as he has in times past by multiplying the riches and so the large amount of money that was paid out we are sure will be graciously replaced by Jehovah's spirit. (Applause)

You brothers have the opportunity to work in accord with that spirit and we are confident that this unscheduled outflow will be replaced through your generousity so that this spiritual warefare can continue. (Applause)

The Governing Body of Jehovahs Witnesses proposes the following resolution:

As one of Jehovah's witnesses I firmly resolve in my heart to donate $25.00, checks made payable to Watchtower, to further the advancement kingdom truth and theocratic warefare through the next year. I further resolve that whatever is asked of me I shall do it knowing that this spritual direction is coming from our God Jehovah through his Faithful and Discreet Slave from now into eternity. (Applause)

Thank you.

I should be a talk writer for the GB.

One

What was the amount of the 07 pedo settlement

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