on behalf of all the child abuse cases i have read on this board, have the wts released some kind of written information about not getting the "worldly" law involved? now, that would be a very interesting issue.
adrianoblue
child abuse cases
by Adrianoblue 6 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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blondie
Not to the general public or even to the rank and file jws. I'm sure everything is verbal. When my husband went to elder school they said CALL LEGAL, CALL LEGAL, CALL LEGAL if any abuse cases came up. Clergy (yes the WTS considers the elders clergy in this case) are not required to report in all states. WT Legal determines if they live in such a state where reporting is not required, and if so they verbally tell them not to report anything.
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/clergymandated.cfm
http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/clergymandatedall.pdf
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fokyc
The instructions for Elders handling of Child Abuse cases is on the jw-media website, which has been completely updated over the past 2/3 weeks here:
http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article23.htm
There have been differences of opinion amongst various Elders, CO's and DO's, some even recommending telephoning the police on the quiet and not revealing their true identity.
fokyc
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blondie
The important thing to note that it is only when secular law requires the elders to report, then they do so (supposedly). If the secular law does not require it, they don't do it. They hide behind the CLERGY-penitent law while at the same time saying that there is no clergy in the WT organization.
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VoidEater
Their published policy is nucking futs.
Bring the accused and child into the same room to tell their stories? As a child I couldn't even articulate what had been done to me.
Never a mention of involving the authorities? Or did I miss "we bring in the cops, who actually know how to INVESTIGATE crime"?
Yeah, molestation is real abhorrent to them.
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life is to short
In the past month both my husband and I have spoken with some brother in the service department at Bethel. They will not give you their name. I wonder why? Anyway this brother will not answer the question of why parents cannot be told in the hall of a brother who has a past of molesting children. The brother at Bethel told my husband that the elders have very pointed instructions in writing on how to handle child abuse cases. When my husband told him there was nothing in writing about why parents cannot be informed so that they can watch their children this person at Bethel got very defensive toward my husband. Tried to change the topic. Then when asked again he said he would not go beyond what is written.
My husband came back and said then there must be some unwritten law that says parents cannot be told because the whole body of elders in our hall will not inform parents that we had a level 3 sex offender among us. The brother at Bethel just kept repeating he would not go beyond what is written, he just could not go beyond what is written. My husband told him well there is nothing written and he just said again he would not go beyond what is written.
I called back and just had to ask him what about people at the doors. Do they not have the right to know we send convicted child molesters to their homes and that their child could open the door to a child rapist some Saturday morning. He seemed caught off guard by my blunt question, put me on hold for about a minute and then came back to the phone and said he would not answer my question as I would surly understand why. No I could not understand that. He then said one child molested is one child too many. Really? Hum so what are they doing about it?
Very upsetting.
LITS
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Heaven
I have been asking my father about the case that occurred in his previous congregation because I want to point out to my father that I know about it, that it is public knowledge, and that the WTS stance/policy is wrong and actually, against the Bible (since it is the parents' and elders' responsibility to protect the children and this isn't happening).
I believe I have given him much to think about as he keeps bringing the subject up everytime I go to visit him. I think he is also getting a better understanding as to why I could never be a JW.