Rework on grammar, words or idioms by a natice speaker is VERY appreciated:
Protecting the Perpetrator Comes First - Child Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses
by Caroline Walter and Marcus Weller
[email protected]?subject=Kontraste%2020.06.02,%20Jehova)
Again a scandal within a religious community, again sexual molestation of children by "men of God".
Caroline Walter and Marcus Weller about a crime towards children and a sinister cartel of silence.
Ursel Wagner was 9 years old when she was sexually abused by a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
Ursel Wagner:
"This Brother used to visit us and made the offer to my parents: "I bring the little girl to bed, I read a good night story that will be fun."
Cornelia Wagner, Mother:
"Imagine, I am there ironing my cloths, doing the dishes and this young man is in my daughter's room, reading stories to her and abusing her in the room next to me."
Ursel Wagner:
"In some way, I knew that it was not right what he did to me. But I was confused, because that was something not existing among Jehovah's Witnesses.
Back then, Ursel's parents were Jehovah's Witnesses too. When her daughter told them about the molestation, they proceeded the way they had to: they reported the incident to their congregation. But they they only told them not to make trouble.
Cornelia Wagner:
"I was shocked. I could not believe what these people demanded me to do: to remain silent. They gave some flimsy reasons and said by this we would also protect our daughter."
The family gets no support by their spiritual leaders, the opposite is true: the perpetrator is protected, other members are not warned .
Ursel Wagner:
"It still makes my angry how these people dealt with it back then. I am sure we could have saved some girls. But nothing happened, nothing at all."
Cornelia Wagner, Mother:
"They made us feel that the roles had switched, we had become the perpetrators. We are accusing them and that did not fit their perfect picture."
Jehovah's Witnesses view themselves as an elected group that lives rigidly by Bible principles. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a soon-to-come doomsday that is survived by their members only. Their highest leader is the worldwide operating Watchtower Society. 210.000 Jehovah's Witnesses live in Germany. They spread their teachings via the magazines "Watchtower" and "Awake". The contents is obligatory for all members.
Stephan Wolf was 20 years a Jehovah's Witness. Today he supports others leaving. More and more victims of child abuse contact him.
Stephan E. Wolf, Ausstieg e.V. (Exit Inc.)
"The woman's attitude as a submitted, serving being and the attitude towards children that primarily one has to make obey - if necessary violently. I think this complementary attitude promotes a surrounding in which child abuse is more likely than in other parts of society."
Ruth Schlegel was born in a Jehovah's Witnesses environment. Her family lived strictly to the rules of the community. Her father was a respected member.
Ruth Schlegel:
"My father started to molest me when I was 9 years old. It began with touching me. It developed to sexual molestation. That lastet to when I was 15 or 16 or so and then it was rape."
Ruth's mother reported the infringements to the highest leaders in the congregation the so called Elders. But also in this case nothing was done, the perpetrator was not reported to the authorities. For years, Ruths fathers abused also other girls.
Ruth Schlegel:
"In their opinion they had done enough. They had met. They had spoken to him and had demanded that he had to apologize to me. They had done everything the Watchtower Society says and so the case was finished. That was their opinion, from the religious point of view because everything from outside i.e. the law, reporting to the police did not matter because the Society says they are above law, they deal with it internally."
Protecting the perpetrator and hush up - normal procedure of Jehovah's Witnesses?
Dr. Andreas Fincke, Protestant Church expert on cults:
"They have made up their own world. They have judical comitees that deal with conflicts and moral transgressions. The idea behind is that you don't go to court with Brothers and Sisters but to deal with those things internally first. That sounds good but in reality that results in the authorities, the elders, always men, judging other people and announcing verdicts."
Lay-man judges in cases of child abuse? We asked Jehovah's Witnesses:
Uwe W. Herrmann, Speaker of Jehovah's Witnesses:
"Because of our Biblical understanding we hold the opinion that there are some specific sins for which the local elders are responsible."
PAY ATTENTION TO YOURSELVES AND TO ALL THE FLOCK is the title of the Witnesses' manual. And that is where the Elders are told how to proceed:
"Some disputes should not be dealt with at secular courts."
And:
"...it is the Elders decision if the statements are trustworthy."
Dr. Andreas Fincke, Protestant Church expert on cults:
"For a Jehovah's Witnesses who has become the victim of child abuse, it is indeed impossible to get justice within the organisation. The simple reason is that you need two witnesses that confirm the incident independantly and that is almost always impossible when it comes to child abuse because there are of course no witnesses."
The Watchtower Society has built a wall of silence around the perpetrators. Pedophiles can live their inclination and remain in their offices.
Stephan E. Wolf, Ausstieg e.V. (Exit Inc.)
"The main principle is to create a perfect image to the outside world. In their own eyes they are models to the world concerning moral standards, one of the buzzwords they like to use in the media. Having pedophiles in their rows does not fit that image, let alone that the public gets to know that they are being protected in the movement. So, they are try everything they can, to prevent the facts to come to the public."
But this perfect image is attended to help Jehovah's Witnesses to get the recognition as a church. For 11 years, they have been going to court through all instances to get the same status as the Catholic and the Protestant Church. A recognition would result in several privileges i.e. to raise a church tax.
Thus, accuse of child abuse does not fit the concept. And more and more case come out to the open. But the organization keeps on denying it.
Uwe W. Herrmann, Speaker of Jehovah's Witnesses:
"We, the Religious Community of Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany, don't know any cases here in Germany."
Stephan E. Wolf, Ausstieg e.V. (Exit Inc.)
"I think the time has come that public notices that there is something going on in the Jehovah's Witnesses organization, that pedophiles have a perfect environment where nothing is being done and they do not have to be afraid."
Uwe W. Herrmann, Speaker of Jehovah's Witnesses:
"Basically, we don't punish at all. Only God can punish. The Elders of a congregation can only check if someone is repentant or not. If he is the sinner gets further help to get over that sin."
It seems that only the vivtims get punishment. Ruth Schlegel has been expelled from the Witnesses because of smoking and adultery. She still fights with the aftermaths of the abuse.
Edited by - GermanJW on 22 June 2002 3:23:6
