I am not sure if this has been posted yet, but here it is. Keep an eye out for the next Newsweek Issue after this one. It may contain a front page story.
Newsweek's webpage: <http://www.msnbc.com/news/NW-front_Front.asp>
The home page had this info near the bottom:
Web Exclusives
Health & Lifestyle
U.S. Biships: Day of Atonement
Another Religion Faces a Scandal (bold added by me)
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<http://www.msnbc.com/news/767800.asp?cp1=1>
Witness To Shame
Ripple effects: Another religion faces a scandal of its own
By Julie Scelfo
NEWSWEEK
June 24 issue As Roman Catholic bishops issued a
mea culpa last week, Jehovahs Witnesses, a
cloistered group of 980,000, moved closer to
facing a sex-abuse scandal of their own. In January
a woman from Sacramento, Calif., filed a lawsuit
charging that church leaders knowingly failed to
notify civil authorities that she was raped by a
member of her congregation.
A FORMER CHURCH leader in Maryland was indicted in February for
sexually assaulting three women who say they were told by elders not to report
the abuse, and were excommunicated when they did. After additional stories aired
recently on TV, a victims support group run by William H. Bowen was deluged
with e-mails and phone calls. Catholics only protect the priests. Jehovahs
Witnesses do it for any member of the church, says Bowen, a former elder from
Kentucky.
Sara Poisson says that prior to her husbands conviction for sexually abusing
her daughters, church elders told her to pray more and be a better wife. Church
spokesman J. R. Brown says the group instructs local leaders to notify police
when required by law. They also conduct their own investigation: That consists of
going directly to the accused. If someone confesses, says Brown, he will be
prohibited from going door-to-doorunless accompanied by another Witness.
Brown points out that people who accuse the church are often lapsed
Witnesses, and open prey for exploiters. (Emphasis added by me!
Arrrrggghhhh!) But victims like Poissons daughter, Heather Berry, 20, say its
the church that does the exploiting. Theyre letting the kids down. I dont think
theres anything Christian about allowing abuse to continue.
2002 Newsweek, Inc.