In the late 60’s while pioneering I was sexually assaulted by a Special Pioneer brother, he had served for 20 years in Bethel and now served as a “Special Pioneer in our congregation. I went to the providing overseer and another overseer and was assured that the brother’s would deal with the situation. A few months later I moved from the area and lost contact. However, several years later when his wife committed suicide in a hotel leaving a letter stating he, her husband one of Jehovah Witnesses had molested and raped many young witness girls in the congregation and she could no longer live with the guilt; she committed suicide. The letter was in the local newspaper. The brother went to prison and was “finally” disfellowshiped, but only after it had become public knowledge. I was devastated and I felt guilty because I knew he was a predator and I should have done something more to protect other young girls. Obviously going to the brothers who were entrusted to shepherd and protect the flock was not the answer. Our sisters suicide and the molestation of innocent young girls in the congregation have weighed heavy on my mind to this day. The argument of the need for two witnesses does not apply in the case of rape and molestation, and surely after more than one young girl reports the inappropriate behavior of a “brother” would cover the need for two witnesses if they ignorantly held to that argument. Clearly the only concern of the “brothers” is outward appearances not the well being of the flock. It is “Organizational Policy” to keep the “dirty secrets, secret from the public and onlookers. This I too know first hand. Not only was I molested by a brother in the congregation, but my own father, while he was a witnesses in good standing molested me. As a child we are “groomed” to accept the behavior from our molester as some how our fault and something you do not talk about even among your siblings who too are being molested. We also knew our mother was very aware of the abuse and choose not to protect her children. A very common behavior of women married to pedophiles. When the suicide of the sister came to my attention I wrote a letter to the congregation my parents were attending to tell them about my fathers behavior, I did not think he bothered other children but how was I to know. I just knew I had to tell to prevent further abuse and even hoped that my father might get help. Again I naively assumed the “brothers” in charge of the flock did the right thing. 20 years later during a very difficult time in my life the congregation overseer asked to meet with me to let me know he had spoken with the elders in my parents congregation and my father for what ever reason confessed to molesting and raping me as a young girl. The elder wanted to let me know that the “brothers” had showed my father mercy and they were just letting me know I “had to respect” the decision of the body of elders. The warning to me was that if I spoke about what my father had done to anyone, (including authorities because he now finally admitted it) I would be dealt with judicially. How interesting in the Witness Congregation the “victim” becomes the one who will be “dealt with judicially” if they do not accept the decision of a “body of elders” even if what they are saying is against the law. For at the time I was told this in 1992 in the state of California’s law was that any doctor, school, teacher, minister etc. anyone who came into knowledge of evidence of child molestation was required to report it to the police. Not in the JW Organization; not only do they not report the abuse they forbid the victims from going to authorities. They say a family is as sick as it secrets, the JW Organization is as sick as their secrets, which is very sick.
How many were victims of child molesters who were members that are still members?!
by Guardian77 38 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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Heaven
Welcome Guardian and Lizette.
I am so very sorry you were both abused. I really feel this organization attracts pedophiles especially since they have no real policy of checking backgrounds of new members. JWs shoot their wounded. They don't help them.
The pedophile in my Dad's previous congregation is still a JW.
I had started constructing a list of pedophiles within the Borg. I got to around a page long but had to stop as I was getting physically ill. Guardian, suffice it to say that it seems in JW-land, being a pedophile is forgivable but smoking or taking a life saving blood transfusion is not. Talk about psychotic.
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Heaven
Heaven said: The pedophile in my Dad's previous congregation is still a JW.
His daughter (and victim), is no longer a JW as far as I know.
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LoisLane looking for Superman
Lizette55...
I am so very sorry this has happened to you.
It has helped me to "write", "vent", here too.
I do have a Therapist. She has been on vacation for this past month.
You may PM me, if you would like.
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One molester called me into his small trailer that he had parked in his brother's driveway, by asking me, as a small child while visiting his married brother's family with my family, if I wanted a "candy". I said innocently with a smile on my face, yes. I always thought it was my fault. I had wanted candy.
Jehovah Witness children are never taught "Danger - Stranger". In WT Land, there are no, "strangers". We are taught from infancy, that we must be prepared to die for our fellow worldwide brothers and sisters . Our Brotherhood. What a disquieting thought with horrendous results.
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One of the last times I was at my KHall, there was a new older couple that had moved in. When I met them, the husband reached out to give me a "hug" hello. HELL NO! I do not know you. Get away from me, I was saying in my head. I moved back quickly and ignored his hands. He had an injured "look" on his face. Too bad. If I had stayed at that KHall, I would have kept my eye on him. He was acting way too familiar. I do not know his history, but I would say, he did, have "history".
LoisLane
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Mikado
Lisette, that is just unbearably awful. I am SO sorry that you were betrayed like that.
my own story is a little less dramatic, thankfully. My stepfather was a uber-witness.
Looking back from the perspective of time I would describe him as a controlling, abusive bully.
I suspect I was a difficult child, I can remember being very young, and standing up to him, saying,go on hit me again... not very wise, but I did have balls anyway!!
He was pretty big on hitting me with a stock whip...
I used to go to sleep every night praying he would die...
But, what he did that was far worse, was make me cover up child abuse that I had seen with my own eyes. of course me and the victim, didn't count as two witnesses..... The perpetrator was an older teenager, and it eventually was revealed that he went on to abuse many many other kids..
I must confess to feeling so much guilt over that. I was a VERY clever kid. I should have known better....
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MissFit
Mikado, you are not the guilty one! You were a child.... the adults around you are the ones with the guilt.
You were living in a toxic enviroment.
I understand. I also lived with an abusive elder. They want to control everything. You sound like you have a lot of spirit. I am glad he didn't break you.
Please do not judge yourself harshly. The decision was taken out of your hands. Put the blame squarely on him.
Miss.Fit
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Guardian77
Thank you all for replying. What made me recently start looking for others who've experienced this is that a known pedophile has been doing door to door work on my street and it's been a miracle I haven't attacked him as I have three small children myself, and we grew up with this person at the hall and his father is an elder. My own mother left my children alone in her home all day to spend the day with the witnesses in town. One of my children is a type 1 diabetic. I fought my father for my mother as a child., the elders knew of the physical, mental and sexual abuse that went on in my home and nothing was done, my older sister tried to kill herself multiple times. I have trouble showing my children affection, and at times I'm very aggressive with my husband. I don't know what to do with this anger or hurt anymore.
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Guardian77
Lizzette we def need to connect.
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cultBgone
We are many voices for the victims....can we start a media campaign on this site?
The jw molestation cover-ups need to be as widely publicized as those in the rc church.
There are thousands of us who have either been or been witness to molestations that have never seen the light of day.
We can find the journalists who have written the breaking stories, can't we? What if we used a list (names changed to protect the innocent but locations identified) like Guardian's to publicly bring pressure to bear on these monsters?
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LisaRose
Guardian, have you received counseling for this abuse? If not, you really should consider it, especially since it is affecting your current life. Even if you have had counseling before it might be worthwhile to try again, not all counselors are the same. If you do not want to go that route, which is understandable, consider journaling and meditation, they really help.
You might also contact the police and tell them that someone you know to be a pedophile is going door to door in your neighborhood. If he is a registered sex offender it just might violate the terms of his parole.