Confidential matters or policy of secrecy?

irondork

'This jury bought it'

McCabe said Simons "did a great job of spinning it into a policy of secrecy, and this jury bought it."

In fact, McCabe said, the letter was a run-of-the mill reminder that some communications must be kept confidential. He noted that a section of the letter devoted to child abuse instructed elders to report all allegations to church lawyers so victims can be "protected from further damage."

Both sides of this seem to have merit.

Is the question just a matter of special circumstance requiring a different policy? (E.g. predator in our midst)

Joe Grundy

'Both sides of this seem to have merit.'

No, no,no.

I know whereof I speak. I was a police officer, mainly detective and mainly supervisory/management for 30 years. I dealt with more child abuse cases than I want to remember (yes, I do see them in unwelcome dreams) and although I am UK based rather than US the principles are the same.

Forgive me if I get a little 'wound up' here but these are my feelings, and they come from long experience from dealing with victims.

'Report all allegations to (church?) WTBTS lawyers?' No. WTF have they got to do with anything, except minimise legal liability? No, in the first place report allegations to the appropriate authority. On one occasion, I 'blue lighted' to a school to get to a victim before the abuser did (he later got 8 years).

In most jurisdictions nowadays there is a responsibility to report these matters to the responsible authority (and that does not include some self-appointed delusional God-related amateur wanna-bes). Those responsibilities are well publicised and should be welll known and self-evident to anyone.

Those who fall short of meeting their repsonsibility may well be held to be criminally or civilly liable. Good. I hope it makes them think.

PS: Would you want to be an elder now????

Black Sheep

McCabe said Simons "did a great job of spinning it into a policy of secrecy, and this jury bought it."

It wouldn't have been difficult. Have you read the letter?

Disillusioned Lost-Lamb

The $ociety has always put their own spin on things, so the "dose" of their own medicine must be especially bitter for them now.

And

Any person in their right mind with nothing to hide, when learning of a major crime being committed, would immediately go to the appropriate authorities.

So running to a group of attorneys that represent the corporation, not the victim, is not going to the appropriate authorities, it's the opposite!