AUSTRALIA | Child Abuse Inquiry | Written Submission by Watchtower Society including October 1, 2012 BOE Child Abuse Handling letter | July 28, 2013

by jwleaks 7 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  jwleaks

  JW LEAKS has published the written submission, and annexures, made by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia to the "Inquiry into the Handling of Child Abuse by Religious and other Organisations" and dated April 9, 2013.

  Included is a copy of the October 1, 2012 Body of Elders letter on the handling of child abuse. This places the letter into public domain and now means it can be shared internationally.

  Page 3 of the Watchtower's main submission (April 9, 2013) states the following:

  Working With Children Check

  Moreover, we have cooperated in every way possible in connection with the Working With Children ("WWC") Check in Victoria. Currently, the approximately 2,000 ministers in congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Victoria have obtained a WWC Check.

  http://jwleaks.org/child-abuse-inquiry/

  JW LEAKS
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  cedars

  Thanks for this update. It's useful to know the October 1st letter is now in the public domain. Next time Watchtower takes down JWsurvey, it won't be because we published it!

  Keep up the great work.

  Cedars
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  jwleaks

  Page 3 of the Watchtower's main submission (April 9, 2013) states the following:

  Working With Children Check

  Moreover, we have cooperated in every way possible in connection with the Working With Children ("WWC") Check in Victoria.

  THE FACTS BEG TO DIFFER:

  Letter issued by the Attorney-General of Victoria to a Member of Parliament over the failure of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watchtower Society to comply with WWC Check and child protection laws (May 2011) – pdf

  Letter issued by the Attorney-General of Victoria, Australia, confirming that the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Watchtower Society have commenced complying with WWC Check and child protection laws (April 2012) – pdf

  An Open Letter from the Children of Jehovah’s Witnesses to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses – January 2012 – Traralgon Congregation – re: child abuse and failure to comply with WWC Check – pdf

  Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry – testimony by Steven Unthank over the failure of the church of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Watch Tower Society to comply with WWC Check and child protection laws (pages 20-29) – official transcript – public-sitting-transcript-morwell-08-june-2011 – pdf

  Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses – Charge Sheet and Summons – Magistrates’ Court of Victoria – Australia – formal criminal charges filed over breaches of WWC Check and child protection laws – July 2011 – pdf
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  DATA-DOG

  " Moreover, we have cooperated in every way possible in connection with the Working With Children ("WWC") Check in Victoria. Currently, the approximately 2,000 ministers in congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses in Victoria have obtained a WWC Check. "

  " As of the latest statistics, over 730,000 Victorian adults have complied with the Working With Children laws. Unfortunately, there's one organisation that isn't complying with the Working With Children laws for some 600 employees and agents in teaching, child minding, child services and this has been ongoing for the last entire three years that the Working With Children laws have been in place for religious organisations. "

  " In the last three years that I've been working on this particular case, it involves 2500 children. Each child receives ongoing internal ministry advice from church leaders and senior church elders and local church elders, who all have been instructed by the organisation not to comply with the Working With Children laws. This is actually a tragedy as it places these children at heightened vulnerable risk because the Working With Children laws were set up to stop convicted sex offenders, convicted murderers, convicted child rapists, convicted drug dealers from having easy access to children, and this particular organisation does not want to have to comply with preventing convicted drug dealers, child molesters from having access within the organisation. So over the last three years I've dealt with all departments within the Victorian Government, Department of Human Services, Department of Justice, Victoria Police, the attorney-general's office. It's been a merry-go-round. From day one they still have not been able to get this organisation to comply and it's being handballed around and around in circles.

  MR UNTHANK: You are hitting the nail exactly on the head in that area. The Working With Children Act does make it an indictable criminal offence to work with children if you do not have the working with children licence. It's up to two years imprisonment and substantial fines, but it's also a criminal offence for the organisation that engages you. However, in a religious structure if a church hierarchy or a religious corporate hierarchy instructs members to disobey the obtaining of a working with children licence, the church members will obey over the government and that's an area that's very, 45 very serious because you're turning genuine citizens into potential criminals ...."
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  DATA-DOG

  Thanks JWleaks!

  Notice where the WTBTS routinely goes wrong. For any just learning TTATT, please look carefully at the following. This is legalism at it's worst. We are talking about child abuse. After many pages of "dancing" a moral, not legal, question is asked of MR. O'Brien. I believe he is an Elder himself, a Shepherd of the flock, which includes children.

  Mr.WAKELING - Could I put to you, Mr O'Brien, the evidence that you have presented thus far is that you have indicated to us that because of the legislation your organisation will not report, and your legal counsel has just indicated that you will now report. For the purpose of this inquiry, can you please clarify what in fact is the position of the Jehovah's Witnesses church here in Victoria? When your organisation becomes aware of child abuse, not only morally, but is your organisation proactively going to report these incidents?

  MrT.O'BRIEN - Would you be asking us to do that if the victim did not want it reported?

  Mr.WAKELING - What I am asking is if your organisation became aware of child abuse within your organisation that has been perpetrated by a member of the clergy or a member of the church, is your organisation committing here to report such incidents to the police?

  MrT.O'BRIEN - In every instance, you are asking?

  Mr.WAKELING - Yes or no? ( Let your yes, mean yes...)

  MrT.O'BRIEN - I do not think it is a fair question, to be honest, because I do think there would be victims who would not want us to report it. In fact, I know there are victims who do not want the matter made public.

  Mr.WAKELING - But if I may - -

  MrT.O'BRIEN - Would you tie the hands of every minister to do that if legislation does not require that? ( Who is asking the questions?!?!)

  Mr.WAKELING - But if I may, Mr O'Brien, I am trying to understand the position of the church. In my own questioning you have indicated to me that you would not be reporting, that you will report - particularly as your legal counsel indicated - and now you are saying that you may or may not. We are looking at this exact issue of child abuse within religious organisations of a systemic nature and how those organisations deal with those matters. You have the right to waiver that exemption. You have the capacity as a church to report these matters, and for the purpose of our inquiry we need to know how you would be dealing with those issues.

  MrT.O'BRIEN - I would like to take further legal advice on that particular question. ( I bet you would.)
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  Gayle
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  Newly Enlightened

  WOW! WTBT$ is so busted!
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  Newly Enlightened

  They may not have a LEGAL obligation everywhere to report every incident, but as self-claimed servants of God, shouldn't they be bound by MORAL obligation to report every single incident or accusation to the authorities. They always view child abuse as a sin not a crime and that always pissed me off!