Why Edlers are not Qualified to Handle child abuse

by JT 40 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  JT

  Back Drop::

  Paducah Sun 1-28-01

  Mario Moreno, associate general counsel at the church's New York headquarters,.

  J.R. Brown, public affairs director for the church,

  Both Brown and Moreno said that the elders, who volunteer and are essentially untrained clergy

  ########

  With this as the backdrop of the typical elder consider why just from a Practical standpoint WT Elders have no biz trying to handle child abuse cases-

  CASE #1--

  You have a little 7yr sister who comes home from Bro Johnson's house across the street complaining that Bro Johnson did something nasty to her- at 4PM

  The Mom calls the elders like a good jw would do at 4:10PM (rarely do jw even follow thier own rule of go to your bro first) Bro PO is at work on his window cleaning job but his wife says i will let him know when he gets home. Bro PO gets home tired and wored out from swinging from the 34th floor of the Macy's dept store cleanng windows- he returns sister concerns call at 10:30PM tells her after she explains it that they all can get together after the service meeting tomorrow night

  he calls up another elder to give him a heads up and they discuss the issue and agree to call the WT Legal Desk in the AM

  Due to his schedule to clean a job at 7 AM he is not free to call bethel till around NOON, well at bethel everyone is at lunch sohe must call back- well he finially get time around 3PM to call Legal-

  they give him some advice sorta like : "ASk him did he do it, if he denys it leave it along, jah will take care of it"

  So he call the bro who is accused and leaves a message on his answer machine

  "Bro Pedophile" could be get together for a couple of min after the meeting this evening, see you tonight>

  Well Bro pediphile ended up having to work late so he won't be at the meeting gets home about 10PM by then the meeting is over, so he calls up bro PO to say i got your message but it was late didn't make the meeting, WHAT'S UP

  o WELL it ain;t nothing we took care of the matter-

  YOU SEE WHEN THE little girl got to the hall she was asked to come into the back room with 2 big old rusty elders, men who had never really been friendly to her anyway and they started asking the little girl all kinds of questions- what were you wearing, do you dislike bro pedophile, what did you do to you etc, and the little girl would not tell the story she just sat there with tears in her eyes and the elders told mom

  WELL ain't nothing more that can be done if she ain't going to talk

  ##########

  Case #2

  Same child comes home at 4PM, mom calls the Police at 4:10PM explains it to dispatcher, Police and Social services are there at 4:30, by 4:45 little girl is in Hospital being examined by a Dr who finds bruising and semen in the Viginal area, 5PM a warrarnt is issued for Bro Pediphile's arrest-

  While the time line and details may be somewhat merely guesses the point is the elder have neither the training or tools to be out playing Columbo__

  BOTTOM LINE

  Tell them what happens and w
• 

  Sam Beli

  You forget, JT, that those elders have what amounts to a college education by virtue of having read all those Awake! Magazines for the past twenty years
• 

  SYN

  Excellent post JT, you really nailed the issue on the head. I wonder how people like Blep are going to respond to this little gem.
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  outoftheorg

  The very things they learn from the wbts result in a hinderance in trying to do this job.

  Don,t let this situation be known.

  Even though untrained, two men are to ask questions of a child without knowing how to not plant ideas-or to elicit a response. Two men that she/he views as powerful and scary.

  Discourage the parents from going to police or telling others with threat of df.

  Protect the society/congregation at all costs.

  Call the wbts for directions the first thing, this assumes a legalistic attitude and aproach to protect the societies and congregations liability and reputation.

  Require 2 witnesses.

  Determine the accused persons, stature and standing with the congregation.

  Determine the elapsed time if this was done some time ago. What does this have to do with it.

  Elders may not be inclined or directed to contact the police immediately.

  The elders are not told to direct the parents to have the child examined by a doctor for evidence. As this takes the situation out of the church hands.

  Are not all these things for the benefit of someone other than the victim?

  Edited by - outoftheorg on 28 July 2002 15:30:20
• 

  blondie

  Most elders would not bring out their surgical tools if I told them I had a cancerous tumor.

  Most elders would not bring out their dental equipment if I needed a root canal.

  Why? Because they know they aren't qualified and will get in big legal trouble.

  Child molestation is not a moral issue like fornication and adultery. Child molestation is a crime and a felony at that under secular law. It is not violating God's law to report it. What elder body would presume to investigate and try a murder case and not report it to the secular authorities?!

  (Of course, maybe a BOE was that stupid!)
• 

  Nowfree

  It is generally understood that when a brother "qualifies" to become an elder (ie take the book study and give a public talk from a prearranged outline) - it seems to instantly qualify him to become proficient in the following skills:

  - Social Worker

  - Psychiatrist

  - Psychologist

  - Policeman

  - Family Counsellor

  - Court Diversion Officer

  It is frightening considering that what these brothers actually CAN do is clean windows/ paint and decorate / fix cars.

  These elders suffer from delusions of grandeur imposed upon them by the policies of the Governing Body!

  nowfree
• 

  anglise

  The elders who realise their limitations and are genuine and caring know they cannot and should not take on all these all these imposed responsibilities.

  Most of these caring men only last a few years as elders and soon resign or step down to at least have a break from these problems.

  We know of many ones locally, and on the international scene the org is losing such loving men in substantial numbers. The consequences of which are the higher percentage of serving elders being theocratic corporate ladder climbers. True society men. Ted Jaracz clones.

  Anglise
• 

  teejay

  Excellent.
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  JT

  Sam I apologize for giving the impression that the elders are not well EdUmCated

  You are correct and I am wrong, in fact i do recall the Awake mag on the back cover that indicated one of thier readers realized the value of the wt publications going so far as to say that for those who read the wt publications would have what would amount to a 4 year college degree ( Perhaps Harvard or Yale even)

  smile

  great post
• 

  blondie

  Of course, JT, you are assuming that the elders "read" the magazines. My experience is that they do not. They base their wisdom on the Letters to the Elders, and The Secret Book, and the occasionally call to the CO or Bethel.

  (Of course, I know you are being facetious.)

  Edited by - Blondie on 28 July 2002 16:32:33