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Convicted paedophile was allowed to interrogate his victims at Jehovah's Witness meeting after they wanted him barred from the church
Jonathan Rose, 40, was sentenced to nine months in jail in October 2013
By Rosie Taylor Published: 19:53 EST, 23 May 2014 | Updated: 19:55 EST, 23 May 2014 Paedophile:
Jehovah's Witness elder Jonathan Rose, 40, was allowed to publicly cross-examine his victims at a meeting arranged by the church A Jehovah's Witness elder who was convicted of abusing young girls was allowed to publicly cross-examine his victims at a meeting arranged by the church. Jonathan Rose, 40, was convicted of molesting the women when they were aged five and ten.
He was jailed for nine months in October last year. But after his release the victims – who were members of his Jehovah’s Witness group – and a third woman were told that if they wanted him barred from the church they had to relive their ordeal in front of elders. Rose had previously been acquitted of abusing the third woman when she was a teenager – but the other two came forward after she branded him a paedophile on Facebook.
Yesterday the Charity Commission said it had ‘ongoing serious concerns’ over the Manchester Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ child protection policies.
Campaigners for the victims of child abuse described the treatment of the women – now in their 20s and 30s – as outrageous. Fay Maxted, of the Survivors’ Trust charity said the meetings showed ‘a complete lack of understanding of the impact of sexual abuse on a victim and of how a perpetrator might behave’.
Three church meetings were held after Rose’s early release in March, when elders examined whether the joiner should be ‘disfellowshipped’. During the public meetings the women faced detailed questions about their abuse, were asked whether they encouraged it and, incredibly, whether they had enjoyed it.
Rose was even allowed to question the women as eight elders looked on. A source, who asked not to be named, said: ‘Before each meeting, the women were read a scripture on false witnesses and told to consider it carefully. They had to go through the abuse in detail and were asked if they encouraged it.
One was asked if she had enjoyed it.
Traumatised: Rose's victims - who were members of his Jehovah's Witness group - and a third woman were told that if they wanted him barred from the church they had to relive their ordeal in front of elders
(file picture)
‘At the third meeting, Rose was present. He questioned the women in detail with no one stepping in to stop bullying as would happen in court. ‘The victims had already done this in court, which elders attended.’ It is understood Rose, who is married with children, was finally ‘disfellowshipped’ after complaints to the police and Charity Commission.
A spokesman for the Commission confirmed it had ‘serious concerns about the (congregation) in connection with its policies and procedures’. 'They had to go through the abuse in detail and were asked if they encouraged it. One was asked if she had enjoyed it' Unnamed source A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman said: ‘When a Jehovah’s Witness is accused of child abuse, local congregation elders are expected to investigate.
‘No victims are forced to attend a meeting or confront an alleged perpetrator of child abuse. Child abuse is abhorrent.’
John Cedars, a former Jehovah’s Witness who writes about the church under a false name, said: ‘The shocking incident illustrates perfectly how oblivious to the severity of child molestation the elders in (the) Moston congregation are.’
Jehovah’s Witnesses have been criticised for their policy that there must be two credible witnesses to a crime to establish guilt – based on a literal interpretation of the Bible.
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