http://www.msnbc.com/news/767800.asp
Witness To ShameRipple 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.
Day of Atonement
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. 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. Day of Atonement Witness To Shame MSNBC Cover Page
Edited by - sf on 17 June 2002 14:42:36
