Scottish News Panorama

by silentlambs 15 Replies latest jw friends

silentlambs

CHURCH AT CENTRE OF PAEDOPHILE ALLEGATIONS http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=62692&command=displayContent&sourceNode=62244&contentPK=2125157 CLAIRE STEWART -

The Jehovah's Witness Church in has vehemently denied allegations that it shelters paedophiles . A Panorama programme screened last night on BBC TV claimed the church had records of known paedophiles within the faith that it refused to share with police.

The programme profiled an Ayrshire teenager who allegedly told elders at her church she was being abused by her father.

She claimed to have been told not to go to police, despite the fact that the man had already confessed to elders that he had abused her.

A spokesman for the British branch of Jehovah's Witnesses condemned paedophilia as "abhorrent" and stated the programme had failed to examine cases in which the church had approached the police.

The investigative programme claimed that the Watch Tower Society kept a worldwide database of members accused of child abuse. The list, which is claimed to contain more than 20,000 names, is based on details held by each Jehovah's Witness congregation and has many names that have never been reported to police.

Panorama claimed a code of silence existed within the faith based on Biblical teachings that members should turn to elders and not the police, and that members believed a crime had not ta place unless two members of the faith could give evidence of it. Spokesman Paul Gilles yesterday denied that any Jehovah's Witness congregation would shelter a paedophile from the police.

"Sexual abuse of children is not just a terrible sin but also a crime that can leave lasting emotional scars on its victims," he said. "Jehovah's Witnesses everywhere abhor the sexual abuse of children and wil ot protect any perpetrator of such repugnant acts from the consequences of his gross sin." Explaining why the church had chosen to snub the programme , Mr Gilles said: "We decided not to take part for two reasons.

"One is Jehovah's Witnesses are featured in the programme . We follow the Bible in everything we do and the way to resolve difficulties between spiritual brothers and sisters is not in the public.

"Our views are based on deeply held convictions which can't be expressed just in a few soundbites which might be edited. That's why we have chosen to address the allegations on our own website so we can give detailed answers in context."

However, the church did provide the programme with information on its policies towards child abuse.

Mr Gilles, speaking before the programme was aired, said he did not expect it to give an even-handed view.

"I don't expect it to be a balanced programme from what I have seen so far," he said. "They have highlighted cases which could have been handled better. We told them we can't discuss specific cases.

"They have trawled newspapers to find cases where things had gone wrong, but they didn't traw ewspapers to find cases where we had gone to the police." The spokesman did accept there were cases of child abuse within the faith that could have been dealt with better and expressed regret at them.

Explaining the Jehovah's Witness process fo eporting such matters, Mr Gilles said: "When a report is received, elders contact our national office in London for guidance to ensure that, firstly, the alleged victim and other potential victims are protected from possible abuse, and secondly that counsel is given to report crime to the proper authorities and to comply with any additional legal requirements. "Jehovah's Witnesses further believe that it is the absolute right of the victim, his or her family or anyone else to report the matter to the authorities if they so choose. There are certainly no sanctions against any congregation member who reports an allegation of child abuse to the authorities."

About 8,600 Jehovah's Witnesses made the trip to yesterday for the final day of the Zealous Kingdom Proclaimers Convention. The conference attracted visitors from throughout the and as far afield as the . Organiser Bill Reid said: "The people of have responded very well to us being here, from taxi drivers right the way through."

Fe2O3Girl

My reactions to this article.
How nice that the Watchtower spokesman has found his voice again, given the desperate attempt by everyone from the Watchtower to speak to Betsan Powys while the programme was being compiled. Intereresting that the reason that they would not contribute is that current JW's were involved. That contradicts what outraged JW's have been posting on the BBC message board about the programme being full of nasty evil bitter twisted apostates.
I still don't hear any denial of any point raised by the Panorama programme, but the admission that the cases that were featured were ones that should have been handled differently.
I also see that elders are now counceled to report allegations made to the proper authorities - this does not specify law enforcement authorities though......maybe it means the CO?
avengers

Just a simple question: Do you think that if this organisation was really Spirit directed that there would be any pedophiles at all within?
They have always said it was a clean organisation. With more than 20.000 registered active pedophiles how can this be clean?
If God does indeed have an org on this earth and He is good like his son says then there would be not one pedo listed, NOT ONE.
So what kind of spirit really directs this org?
My one pennie short of a Euro.
Dizzy Cat

If the JWs had handled the people of Panorama in this way, and had made sensible statements, like not looking down upon members who deal with the authorities first within these cases, then I'm sure the impression given via the media would have gone in their collective favour.
Its a shame that this refusal to tackle the media head on exists. For an organisation to remain respectable, I think its important to address issues when they arise and not duck for cover and hide behind robotic statements from peers.
This again smacks of unfair control over members to have freedom of thought and action. I was taught before I entered the society, that free thought was encouraged and then once inside found the opposite to be true.

SPIRIT DIRECTING THE JWs
If you had asked me that question several years ago, I would have said that it was a matter of Satan testing the congregations and being allowed to have influence over members - drawing out their desires - as detestable as those desires may be. This would be so, to allow the almighty question of who has absolute rulership to be answered in each individual case. Who really guides the man - SATAN or JAH - ?
However in this particular case (spiritual matters aside), I would say from the outside, that blame exists within the laws laid down to control the congregations. It is a great shame that this has happened. I would not be too harsh on anybody though, as bitching about this endlessly, proves nothing and acheives nothing. Sorrow should go out to the victims and a hope that the people who run the show finally listen to sense and reform their way of conducting internal affairs.
abbagail

Excellent observations, Fe203Girl! I especially liked this, since I too had read the outraged-JW comments:
Intereresting that the reason that they would not contribute is that current JW's were involved. That contradicts what outraged JW's have been posting on the BBC message board about the programme being full of nasty evil bitter twisted apostates.
Also profound was your comment:
I still don't hear any denial of any point raised by the Panorama programme, but the admission that the cases that were featured were ones that should have been handled differently.
Lastly, love the humor!
I also see that elders are now counceled to report allegations made to the proper authorities - this does not specify law enforcement authorities though......maybe it means the CO?
GRITS
dmouse

Mr Gilles said: "We decided not to take part for two reasons.

"One is Jehovah's Witnesses are featured in the programme . We follow the Bible in everything we do and the way to resolve difficulties between spiritual brothers and sisters is not in the public.
Doesn't this reiterate exactly why the problem rose to such hideous proportions in the first place? The attitude that problems should be dealt with ONLY within the congregations without outside involvement?
This insular and 'head-in-the-sand' mindset meant that child abusers could work with impunity among Jehovah's Witnesses.
expatbrit

So gutless Gillies resurfaces.
"Sexual abuse of children is not just a terrible sin but also a crime that can leave lasting emotional scars on its victims," he said. "Jehovah's Witnesses everywhere abhor the sexual abuse of children and wil ot protect any perpetrator of such repugnant acts from the consequences of his gross sin."
Fine words. Why are there at least 5,000 real life instances contradicting him.
"We decided not to take part for two reasons.

"One is Jehovah's Witnesses are featured in the programme . We follow the Bible in everything we do and the way to resolve difficulties between spiritual brothers and sisters is not in the public
This is exactly the reason they are in this mess in the first place.
"Our views are based on deeply held convictions which can't be expressed just in a few soundbites which might be edited.
Cunning slur against the professionalism of the BBS journalists. The Watchtower of course never edits quotes or takes them out of context.
That's why we have chosen to address the allegations on our own website so we can give detailed answers in context."
Translation: we want to be able to put our spin on the situation without having to be subjected to any awkward questions.
"I don't expect it to be a balanced programme from what I have seen so far," he said. "They have highlighted cases which could have been handled better. We told them we can't discuss specific cases.
Another unjustified slur against the BBC. Panorama is an investigatory news programme. It's function is to uncover matters of public concern, not to make infomercials for religious sects.
Yes they can discuss specific cases. The victims requested the Watchtower to discuss them, as the programme mentioned. The truth is they choose not to discuss cases because they have no valid defence.
"They have trawled newspapers to find cases where things had gone wrong, but they didn't traw ewspapers to find cases where we had gone to the police."
Where's the evidence for this assertion about trawling newspapers? Again, the point of the comment is to try and discredit the BBC. Why couldn't the Watchtower provide cases where they have gone to the police? They had six months!
"When a report is received, elders contact our national office in London for guidance to ensure that, firstly, the alleged victim and other potential victims are protected from possible abuse,
A bit late now isn't it? How does contacting legal protect the victims from further abuse?
and secondly that counsel is given to report crime to the proper authorities and to comply with any additional legal requirements.
Why does this counsel even need to be given? And note the slyness here. He says "counsel is given to report crime," not "alleged crime". In the previous sentence he uses the term "alleged victim." How then do they determine whether a crime has been committed? By their own two-witness rules. This is theocratic warfare.
"Jehovah's Witnesses further believe that it is the absolute right of the victim, his or her family or anyone else to report the matter to the authorities if they so choose.
More theocratic warfare. It's also the absolute right of Jehovah's Witnesses to take blood, join the army, vote, have wild orgies etc. The state ensures those rights and the Watchtower does not have the power to take them away. Ah...but if they choose to exercise those rights, they get the emotional torture and coercion of marking and shunning and losing their family.
There are certainly no sanctions against any congregation member who reports an allegation of child abuse to the authorities."
Rounding off with an outright lie, as the Panorama programme so clearly showed.
Go away Mr. Gillies. You're a disgrace to the British nation.
Expatbrit
FreeFallin

and secondly that counsel is given to report crime to the proper authorities and to comply with any additional legal requirements.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since they're "no part of the world," how would they possible know who the proper authorities are. Do they have a hotline to child welfare? How much counseling does it take to tell someone to get in a car and go to the local police station? What a cop out and what a crock of shit.
FreeFallin
hawkaw

and secondly that counsel is given to report crime to the proper authorities and to comply with any additional legal requirements.

Dateline asked the WT to provide examples of how "strong their policy was. After 6 months the WTS provided Dateline with 2 examples of non-JW pedophiles.
The ones Dateline and Panorama found tell a very different story.
Another point. I have heard now that the WTS has changed its policy wrt not stopping Witnesses from going to the police whether there is two witnesses to the crime or not. However, elders do not encourage going to the police nor do the elders go to the police unless there is a reporting law. But does not this new police reporting policy conflict with the WTS's official policy on causing divisions in the congregation and slander? So far there are still too many examples that tell us that the JWs must go to the elders first.
Finally, why are elders who are untrained at investigating special crimes, investigating these crimes? Like hello. Investigations should be left to the policy and the child welfare departments
hawk
Kismet

The Society is using its typical doublespeak again.
If the media uses former JW's the Society will not participate because theya re just disgruntled ex-Witnesses with a grudge.
If the Media uses active JW's they will not participate because they do not resolve issues between brothers in public (tho what about their disagreement with 'Brother' Lawrence in Calgary hmmm).
The Society simply does not like the media except when they print their own Press Releases verbatim. The sooner the press realises they are viewed as tools of the devil the better!
The Society loves to bully itself into a position where they are always in a win win situation. They have done it with increase vs decrease, court victories versus court losses, even mishandled judicial cases "well perhaps it was too harsh but Jehovah saw fit to allow it for a reason..."
These guys are masters at making putrid crap smell like a dozen roses but crap is still crap no matter how it smells.
Kismet
Edited by - Kismet on 17 July 2002 10:49:46

Scottish News Panorama

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