Conti Case: They Cannot Win

by metatron 12 Replies latest jw friends

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  metatron

  Just my opinion but I see nothing but defeat for the Watchtower regardless of what they do.

  If they appeal and fight - it could go on for years, dragging their reputation thru the mud, AT THE SAME TIME that the Catholic Church is being slammed and sued. They end up sharing the headlines with other religions that cover up child molesters. Talk about bad timing...

  This defeat has already hit some Witlesses like a ton of bricks, emotionally. Low donations to follow? Elders giving up? Who knows?

  If they walk away and pay, they're out 28mill and a nasty precedent gets set.

  Correct me if I'm wrong but I see no way out. They are screwed.

  metatron
• 

  cantleave

  They are screwed.

  I really hope you're right.........
• 

  blondie

  Is the goal to use sexual abuse cases to bring the WTS down. Isn't it more to get the victims some satisfaction and justice, some healing.

  SNAP (www.snapnetwork.org) has had success deal with the RCC on abuse but the goal is not to bring down the RCC. It is to get healing for the victims and hopefully through public knowledge to lessen it and let people know where to go before or after.
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  Gayle

  I think the goal is equal, involves both issues. Pedophiles will not disappear and the WTS will not go down totally, but the WTS/GB have to bend their stiff-necks and stiff knees. They have to soften their stance and change 'their' policy. I think Ms Conti, too, in her purpose is to 'force' the WTS to change. She trusts only the Law could be able to impose a strength against their policy, that clearly the victims have no power in themselves over the GB.
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  cedars

  metatron

  I too have a feeling that this appeal can achieve nothing more than to buy the Society some time so they can plan their strategy for dealing with the fall-out.

  My hunch is that either the appeal will fail or they will drop it entirely. They will then pay up, and adopt their usual "heads in the sand" approach - pretend it never happened. It worked for the UN/NGO scandal - so why not this? Trouble is, we will never let them forget it, and the case will become enshrined in Watchtower's history.

  Just one minor correction...

  If they walk away and pay, they're out 28mill and a nasty precedent gets set.

  The judgment was actually reduced to something in the region of $13 million. The annuity bond is set at around $17 million to allow for legal costs and other expenses. At least, that's how I understand it.

  Cedars
• 

  Phizzy

  I certainly don't think Candace Conti went in to this with, or even now has, the motive of bringing down the WT.

  She herself was willing to take a paltry, token sum in damages if the arrogant WT would simply guarantee to change their ways on Abuse within its ranks.

  The WT refused to give any such guarantee, so she went ahead with her case, looking to force them to change, and with the possible benefit that others would seek and get justice, because of her courage.

  I too hope, and trust, that the WT is not successful in burying this case, and more importantly that they are made to change there practice and procedures, and that they implement a proper working programme to protect the young and the vulnerable in all circumstances within their purview.

  At present they love to hide behind "We have an evolving protection policy", in other words they are re-writing something, mere words on a piece of paper, and also hide behind "it is the parents primary responsibility to protect blah blah " as though that takes away any responsibility on their part.

  At least the RC Church is doing something to prevent future evil, and has also apologised.

  The arrogant W.T cares only about covering over its own culpability. It cares not one bit for the poor victims, past, present and future.

  Heartless money-grubbing bastards.
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  Yan Bibiyan

  IMO, the most dangerous aspect of it is setting the precedent.

  Case law is a huge part of the justice system inner workings and lawyers across the country (USA and maybe the world) are probably already in informal agreements with who knows how many more victims and just waiting on the sidelines for the shoe to drop.

  If I were a law firm in this filed of practice, I would be actively sniffing around lining up potential clients.
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  Finkelstein

  I think they will eventually pay out the charge as they've done in the past.

  What should be established by initiative through expressed law, is that all Churches should institute a policy where if a known and

  registered sex offender attends their church, it should be made known throughout the rest of attending members as well to make it known

  that this person is not to be left alone with minors, clergy or otherwise.

  This would help in stopping known and recognized sex offenders from using Churches to disguise themselves in secrecy in this social environment

  where people are assumed to be wholesome law abiding citizens.
• 

  Chaserious

  Looking at it realistically from their perspective, if they win the appeal, don't you think they would gleefully put out a press release and a comment in any media coverage about the case? One that says something like "By overturning this unjust decision, the court system has vindicated the reality that the sole person responsible for this sad case of abuse was a former associate of a congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses who has since been expelled. No court has ever found the Jehovah's Witness organization to be responsible for a case of child abuse. Jehovah's Witnesses abhor child abuse in all its forms and do everything they can to protect their children from this evil."

  It seems like fighting for the chance to make statements like that one would be fairly attractive. They know dubs would read it and eat it up, seeing no reason to further investigate child abuse issues.
• 

  Finkelstein

  Its become something now of public awareness that religious institutions have been covering up pedophilia activity within their organizations

  for the sake and intent of upholding the religion's public image of itself.

  Essentially making that intent more important and above than protecting children who may come to harm.

  Hopefully out of this new awareness, laws will be created specifically toward religious organizations to impose strict rules and guidelines

  which should help in protecting children from harm, this includes the JW organization.