Wondering what you guys think about child abuse... (page 2)

Mikado

I can answer from first hand experience . I grew up in an uber JW step family. aside from the abuse I experienced, I witnessed child abuse first hand, with my own eyes.

I was forbidden to report it to anyone except my stepfather, an uber elder , who basicaly was a pig.

the abuser, who was of course a victim himself! went on to abuse many many many others.

THAT was what brought shame on the witnesses...it was disgusting. The person who made me cover it up should have been charged over that. he would have been now.

quellycatface

Must stop. Full stop. Zero tolerance. The police SHOULD be informed first. No question.

mrhhome

I knew a victim of sexual abuse who was reprimanded for adultry when she came forward.

punkofnice

As far as I know, the elder's book directs elders to immediatly report know pedos to the police.

Where did you get your information?

If it was from an Elder then ask them to show you from the 'flock book(tm)'........it says something totally different in it.

cultBgone

LisaRose, yours is the best clarification I've ever seen, thanks for writing it. You should copy and paste that in an editorial to your local newspaper.

Others have outlined the particular problems with the way the WTS deals with sexual predators. In secular courts, physical evidence is sufficient to prosecute. Wherever possible, child victims are protected from further victimization in the courts. This sort of thing should not be tried in a religious judicial setting, but should be entirely a police/child welfare matter. The WTS inserts itself in the process, which runs the risk of subverting justice.

https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/manda.cfm

Also, the closed-door nature of the judicial process in the WTS means that congregations may never know what is going on right under their noses. There's a reason the secular courts are open to the public. Justice behind closed doors is not justice at all.

Seraphim23

Bobert this is a few years old but it shows the issues quite well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ep4h2lKWRlg&feature=player_detailpage

problemaddict

So here is my personal thought on the matter. This means take it for the 2 cents its worth and nothing more.

I don't think there is a greater problem with molestation in the organization than there is in society at large. I think most would probably agree, with a few people not agreeing. Its obviously a terrible crime, and has been mishandled by several religions that care about they way they are viewed than the victims and prevention.

The issue here is the antiquated way JW's have handled the issue. Instead of letting proper authorities investigate matters, and turning voer information to the police, too often allegations have been kept "in house" which has allowed serail molestors and rapists to do terrible things. Because of the bad press,a dn the outside world beginning to hold them to account (and the law suits of course), the branch is taking less risk here, and at LEAST doing the thing which exposes them to the least liability, which in this case also happens to be the right thing. They have slowly encouraged more people to go straight to the police. An elder on this site in fact testified to a situation in his congregation he watched closely. They called the branch, the lawyers told them to contact the police immediately.

So its not like there isn't SOME improvement. The real issue here is the culture of "us vs them" that even made this possible. The fact that elders view themselves as authoritative figures, when the bible gives them no authority as all. THAT is the crux of the matter. Laymen, untrained in social issues, and basically people that have turned their thinking over to the branch as far as what they will or will not consider (as I once did), are allowed to view themselves as authority figures.

Many terrible things have been done, even if they weren't INTENDED to be done, based on this mind set.

The fear of how the "world" will view things, actually caused more issues for them than if they had just handled it with class and dignity.

Also......maybe more of a footnote......I thinkt he branch up until recently didn't think of these things as a big deal. The overall culture of the headuarters seems to be stuck in the mind set of a group of white males from the 60's.

zebagain

The day the wts is attacked by the UN, or who ever they will scream.. persecution amd see how fast any list of paedophiles is handed over.

Were I a policeman investigating such a crime I would take the 24 people who turned up to support the offender (as in the Poisson case) and sit them down and show them evidence videos or photos of what sex crimes on children look like and make them watch!

JW in this case are like the citizens of Nazi Germany who denied the camps ever existed. I cringe I feel sick to think i was ever part of that wt 'borganisation'.

KateWild

Ann,

Exactly what I was going to do. The WT tell elders to cover up child abuse because it brings reproach on Jehovahs name if it gets out, and they must stay loyal to God's organisation, the same is true of domestic violence, it's hushed up and if the victims speak up or go to the police the get Df'd, like I did.

Kate xx

Wondering what you guys think about child abuse...