< http://www.morons.org/articles/6/1247
[Signs of Intelligence: Jehovah's Witnesses Sued For Harboring Sexual Abusers
posted by Pleased samrolken on Jan. 22, 2002
18 comments from readers
Victim raped from age four to eleven on an almost weekly basis, and threatened by the congregation elders to ensure her silence...
(notice the 18 comments to this post)
A while back on morons.org, I wrote a few rants about how Jehovah's Witnesses are dangerous, and one area in which this is true is in the case of sexual molestation. The way the organization is set up, child molesters are protected. This lawsuit is an attempt to bring attention to this problem in order to change the harmful nature of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses.
I contacted the lawyer handling the case, Timothy Kosnoff. He send me a copy of the lawsuit that was filed. The lawsuit charges that the offender in this case, the (now convicted in a criminal trial) rapist Manuel Beliz was protected as a sexual molester. Beliz was promoted to the position of ministerial servant, then elder, the highest level of authority within the congregation. When the victem, Erica Rodriguez complained about the problem she was threatened with the shunning punishment of Jehovah's Witnesses to ensure her silence. The lawsuit also charges that the congregation failed to inform the proper authorities, such as law enforcement and child protection agencies.
I also was able to speak to Laura Barrett, of the Southern Midwest SNAP Regional Office (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), who is also involved with the case. She said that this sort of problem is quite common within the Jehovah's Witnesses organization. Erica Rodriguez and her mother were shunned for reporting the abuse, says Barrett. Barret went on to explain how the Jehovah's Witnesses organization is closed and tightly controlled, which is no good for victims of sexual abuse.
This is a situation that is recieving national attention. It's estimated that thousands of children are put at risk because of this situation, and it's time that this problem gains wide-spread attention. Soon a segment about this problem with Jehovah's Witnesses will air on Dateline NBC. There is more information at Silent Lambs.
I am optimistic to be able to speak to the victim herself, Erica Rodriguez. If anyone has any questions they would like her to be asked when (and if) I am able to speak to her, post them below as comments, and I will report her answers in a follow-up story. I was told by her lawyers that she is available for interviews, but I have had some trouble getting ahold of her.
As expected, the Jehovah's Witnesses office of public information had nothing to say when I contacted them.
--Sam Kennedy
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Related Sources and Links
Past Morons.org series on Jehovah's Witnesses
Timothy Kosnoff, Attorney at Law
Jehovah's Witnesses PR Site
Silent Lambs -- Highly recommended source of information
If man was supposedly created in gods image, then.....holy krap...we're all doomed.-sKallyWagger
“What a blessing such integrity keepers are to the congregation!”(5/15/02 WT magazine, pg. 27)