Do Jehovah's Witnesses Even Have A Child Abuse Policy?

by DT 6 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • DT
    DT

    I know that sounds like a strange question. Jehovah's Witnesses have many procedures that are hidden from members and the public in a maze of letters and the elder's book with handwritten notes. They have also made many statements about their alleged child abuse policy, but these statements are not the actual policy.

    Most businesses have actual policies for issues like sexual harassment and reporting abuse. The employees can actually read the policy and if it changes, the new policy replaces the old one. It would be bad practice to divide the policy into dozens of memos and handbooks with handwritten notes and instruct the person to ignore it all if someone from the office tells you to do things differently.

    If they actually have a policy, it appears to be something like, "call the headquarters and do what they say." They may instruct the elders to follow written instructions in a letter or elder's book or they may not.

    I think it is reasonable to expect the Watchtower Society to actually write a child abuse policy and make it available to all members and the public. I realize that laws vary from place to place, but individual policies could be written for places with unusual legal requirements. However, if they just ask the elders to report allegations to the police first, that should cover most situations.

    This could protect them legally. If an elder violates their policy, he would probably be on his own in the event of a lawsuit unless it could be shown that others also violated the policy.

    They have lost millions in private settlements and this recent lawsuit. Maybe it's time to actually write a child abuse policy.

  • RubaDub
    RubaDub

    DT ...

    I was going to start a similar thread in 5 minutes ...

    Anyway, as you mentioned, what good is a policy when less than 10% of the people know what the policy is? What good would calling 911 be when help is needed if only a select few knew that was the number?

    If you asked five different JW's (not elders or wives) what the policy was, you would get five different answers.

    I'm surprised that this point was not brought up in the trial.

    Rub a Dub

  • DT
    DT

    Suppose a court issued a subpeona for the Jehovah's Witnesses child abuse policy with harsh penaties for not complying. What would they send? I doubt they could provide an actual policy. They would probably have to send a large collection of letters and the elder's book. Even then they might be held in contempt of court if they leave out the handwritten guidelines that are supposed to be in the elder's book.

  • chichimama_2
    chichimama_2

    Yes they do have a Child abuse Policy.

    It is as you mentioned written in their Elder Manual and BOE letters.

    Their policy is criminal! Because of the 2 witness rule ,they hide child rape/ and protect Pedophiles!

    Of course it's not because they are okay with those horrible things.

    Plain and simple it's because they would rather protect their image than protect children. And they rationalize this witheir belief that Jehovah will bring justice in the end for everyone concerned.

    The congregation members report to the elders .That is it.

    Nothing more for them to do as far as the policy goes.

    The elders and Watchtower Legal Dept take it from there and sweep it under the rug.

    So unless they ever change their Policy on Child abuse there is nothing to write down officially for the Congregation or the rest of the world.

    AKA,

    Ranchette

  • sd-7
    sd-7

    This actually makes me wonder, how far can they go before they commit perjury on this sort of issue? The policy posted on jw-media.org has plenty of truth to it, but there's a lot of the 'lie of omission' going on there. Hmm.

    --sd-7

  • wasblind
    wasblind

    If California has a mandatory state law that requires Teachers, Doctors, social workers and clergy to report such abuse

    it seem to me that the WTS should have had a firm policy in place to accomodate that law. If they didn't the WTS should

    be accountable to pay any part that Kendrick cannot

    After all, By WTS standards Kendricks is an ordained minister of the WTS

    The two witness rule is stupid under the laws of Ceasar, pedophiles don't make it a habit to have a witness while abusing a child

  • Farkel
    Farkel

    :Do Jehovah's Witnesses Even Have A Child Abuse Policy?

    Yes. "Don't ask. Don't tell."

    That's about it!

    Farkel

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