This is a true experience that I thought I would share, one that occurred just a few years ago in my area. It is a real experience, nothing made up here.
A younger couple moved into our KH, into the joining congregation (so not ours, but the other one that shared our KH). They seemed nice enough, they had one boy that was about 8, and a baby on the way. Again, seemed nice enough, but a little odd.
Within a few months, several families with young kids started to have a weird "gut feel" that something was just not quite up to par with this couple. One mom, a good friend of ours, started doing a little research, just for herself, including a pretty extensive internet search of the family's names. She herself had been abused as a child, and so could "smell" something in the air, she wasnt sure what, but something was off kilter.
It was discovered, thru public records readily available, that the young LADY of the couple was a convicted and registered SEX OFFENDER. Yes, the young lady. She had been found guilty and served some time for fiddling a young teen (12 or 13yo) boy. Now, the Sister who had done the research had a young boy about the same age as the victim of the pedophile girl. She went BALLISTIC!
Serving as an elder at the time, and being close to them, she came to me with the info, wondering what she should do???? She had hard evidence, including the mugshots and court documents, etc. She laid it all out on the table, I saw it with my own eyes. Pure facts. She had wanted to be 100% sure before she said anything. Now that she was sure, what should she do?
I asked if she had heard anything from her Elders? Did her Book Study Overseer ever mention it? Did ANYONE ever bring it up? Of course you know the answer. NO, it was never brought to the attention of anyone, NONE of the families with young ones knew anything about it.
I advised her to do 3 things: 1. Show her elders what she had found. 2. Take every precaution to protect her own family, and 3. Dont be afraid to tell her friends or others with young kids what you had found. PROTECT THE KIDS!
Of course, now the hornets nest had been poked, and this sister was NOT one to keep quiet. Having been a victim of abuse herself, she wanted to make sure EVERYONE that came into contact with this young "sister" was aware of her recent past. Suddenly, there was quite the uproar. Very quickly, the elders in her congregation made it a point to meet with THEM, the brother and sister who had discovered the info, met with them in their home, and told them in no uncertain terms to keep their mouths shut and not to spread "rumors", or face judicial action.
RUMORS???? They werent RUMORS, but plain hard FACTS! This family fought with the elders and swam upstream as long as they could, but were constantly beat down. They were told that they had to "protect the reputation of the congregation", to "protect Jehovahs name".
At NO POINT did anyone ever make any announcements, on a congregation level, bookstudy level, or even as a body of elders and servants, to the effect of "hey, this is the situation, watch your kids, keep a close eye on this lady, keep your kids at a distance". Nothing. Only repercussions if you continued to "slander" the sister.
The family that had found all the facts was eventually so emotionally beaten up and discouraged, they moved ACROSS THE COUNTRY to start fresh and get away from the idiots in their immediate vacinity.
When I heard all that went down, I asked the other elders on our body what was going on, as this Pedo Lady shared our hall, and everyone knew her, as "she is so nice, and loves to babysit"..... ugggg.
Get this, they had a very vague notion of what was going on, and dismissed any of my concerns because "well, it isnt our business, her elders are aware of the situation and are handling matters....besides, Jehovah sees everything and will make us aware of any problems with the situation...she IS our sister you know..."
Just point blank ridiculous, stupid, and blatantly moronic.
There you go, a real, recent example of the attitudes to be found in the congregations today, by elder bodies and the WTBS, of the treatment of child molestation and pedophilia. This stuff is REAL, and it gets covered up and swept under the rug, every day.
Jack Harper, Tech49