by Joyzabel 55 Replies latest watchtower scandals
joytobefree
They had several xeroxed copies in their bookbags.
ok I missed that part. I would not be at all supprised to find out a lot more are doing the same thing. I wouldn't even be supprised if the KHs soon make an announcment telling all members to do that and carry them with them everywhere they go. HAhahaha.LOL
There has to be problems popping up in the KHs with members asking thier elders questions on how to deal with this.
Perhaps you would like to pass this out.
silentlambs
Jehovahs Witnesses Policy on Child Abuse
1.All accused are innocent until proven guilty. Guilt is established by confession or at the mouth of two eye witnesses or circumstantial evidence such as pregnancy.
2.All allegations of abuse are reported to the Watchtower Legal Department by local elders first before any other steps are taken.
3.Watchtower Legal then requests the matter to be investigated by untrained elders who will question the child as well as the accused abuser.
4.A full report is then made to Watchtower Legal and they determine if the local elders should report the matter based on the evidence at hand and certain reporting laws for the area where the crime occurred.
5.When the accused denies the charge and there is no strong circumstantial evidence otherwise the child is required to produce two eye witnesses to prove their allegation. If the child cannot the accused remains an innocent man in the eyes of the congregation.
6.Negative talk about anyone in the congregation whether true or not is not tolerated. Child molestation along with all other judicial investigations is viewed as confidential and is forbidden to be discussed in the congregation. Negative talk after repeated counsel can be cause for disfellowshipping. (excommunication)
7.When a child abuser is considered by the elders to be repentant the victim is expected to extend forgiveness. The scripture of forgiving up to 77 times has often been applied to repentant child molesters and their victims.
8.When a victims experiences difficulties mentally and emotionally they typically are viewed as weak in faith. According to doctrine persons with strong faith should be able to endure so as to wait for Gods Kingdom to solve all emotional problems. Solutions are provided as being more regular attending meetings along regular participation in the door to door work prayer and bible reading, are given as the best way to address this problem.
9.When Jehovahs Witnesses go to police with a report of abuse they are typically cautioned to not bring the religion into the matter. This means not mentioning any activities associated with the church. This can impede a police investigation by not providing full information.
10.Counseling and therapy are generally discouraged unless the counselor is a Jehovahs Witnesses. All persons outside the Jehovahs Witness community are considered as part of Satans World (1 John 5:19) thus not to be trusted.
11.Any molester who denies the allegation without two eye witnesses to convict remains as an unknown molester. As an innocent man can continue to serve as an elder and enjoy any other privileges that are part of being considered in good standing as well as remain unknown to all members of the congregation including his own wife.
If you would like to see examples of this policy in action please read www.silentlambs.org for clarification.
jst2laws---come on I will be more clear---IN MY WORLDY THERAPY 22 YRS AGO stupid old me found out a lot and A BIG WORD I never new existed IT IS CALLED I N C E S T...now take one pervert in his secret life starts a book study with his niece SUZY and they go to the park and take my little girl LISA ALONG TO and ROBERT / SUSY / and LISA have a B.S. out of GREAT TEACHER BOOK / chapter is OBEDIENCE PROTECTS US..I am trying to take it very slow so you can follow me so far..all of a sudden after about 2 times WALLA SUZY is nocked up..now many years later after ROBERT dies---NO NO I did not kill the S.O.B. I allow LISA to get in touch with her paternal grandma and LISA meets CRISSY SUZYs little GIRL--you remember the BABY SUZY gave birth to WELL they took to each other like a duck takes to water so much so that HER AUNT BETTY and SUZY could not handle it and they went out and got DRUNK..I stayed behind to get more aquained with CRISSY..I AM glad I did because WHY because CRISSYs BIOLOGCAL DADDY and my LISAs DADDY R THE SAME---ROBERT..same father BUT different mothers..SUZY is CRIZZYs mom and I am LISAs mother.once again SAY THE "I" i n c e s t IT IS NOT HARD TO S A Y / I N C E S T.WHY ROBERT even reported his sevice time -- the 2 OR 3 BS he had with SUZY and LISA at the park ALONE--I WAS NOT ALONG TO CHAPARONE the #$%^%$%^ BS group...YES I too have puked my guts many a time..PINK STUFF called PEPTO-BISMO helps a lot with pukes 4 ME a legal seperation/divorce AND ROBERT was not allowed any visitation unless someone LKE A WORLDY THERAPIST WS PRESENT as I WAS NOT TO BE TRUSTED around ROBERT THE SCHMUCK until MY LISA turned 18 now that was a BIG HELP...HE CROCK when LISA ws 15 BUT CRISSY was around ROBERT A WHOLE LOT in her growing up years...well I HOPE THIS IS WAS EXPLAINED IN A SLOWER MANNER that you could grasp..I had a stroke IN 96 I say it is delayed reaction to lots of crap!!! I see a shrink for MOOD SWINGS and reactive depression and all this JW shit I endured as A JW 4 - 40 YRS..10 OF WHICH I was BROTHER AYERS'S WIFE...THE HERE AND NOW I AM A FEMALE CELEBATE XJW APOSTATE that SLEEPS ALONE..SOME XJW AND MEN IN GENERAL SAY I AM FRIGID, ETC.THAT IS THEIR OPINION I PREFER FOOD NOT MEN MUCH LESS SEX and for some reason I do not puke no more..LISA AND I ARE CLOSE A HEALTHY CLOSENESS I MUST ADD..I DO CRY SOMETIMES--WHEN I AM A L O N E IN MY BED..WELL LIKE I SAID I HOPE WENT S L O W ENOUGH FOR YOU.TO UNDERSTAND NOW INCEST IS IN THE DICTIONARY UNDER "I"..CLEARLY I WISH EVEN YOU P E A C E...QUEENIE BTW IF ANY WANT TO CRY ALONG WITH ME it is okay :(
That was a VERY GOOD POST by Bill Bowen!
I had also made a list showing the Watchtower Society's Pedophile Policy (if you want, you can combine Bill's list and my list below):
Scenario # 1: In a State that does NOT Require Clergy to Report Sexual Abuse to the Police, and the Child Molester DENIES the charges:
1: The Child is Unfortunately Molested.
2: The Child talks with the Elders.
3: The Untrained Volunteer Elders "Investigate" the charges.
4: The Elders ask the Child about all of the details of the abuse.
5: The Elders then ask the Child, Do you have a 2nd witness to the act of abuse? (According to Awake Magazine, very few Children ever lie about being abused)
6: The Child, of course, says No.
7: The Elders then ask the accused Child Molester, Did you sexually abuse this child?
8: The accused Child Molester, of course, says No. (I have heard that 98% of Child Molesters DO NOT confess!)
9: The Elders may decide to have the Child accuse the Molester while the Molester is in the SAME ROOM with the Child!
10: The Elders call the Bethel Legal Department for instructions.
11: The Bethel Legal Department tells the Elders that they are NOT in a Mandatory-Reporting State, so they are not required to report it to the Police, and the Bethel Legal Department tells Elders not to report because you would not want to get yourself in a jam.
12: The Elders tell the Child that they cannot do anything, and that the accused person is INNOCENT because there were not 2 eye-witnesses to the act.
13: The Elders also tell the Child that if the Child tries to warn ANYONE, even other Parents or Children about the Pedophile, that the Child will face a Judicial Hearing, and will most likely be Disfellowshipped for Slandering an Innocent Man.
14: The Child and the Child's Parents are told by the Elders that, going to the Police or taking the accused Pedophile to Court would be Bringing Reproach on Jehovahs Organization.
15: The Elders tell the Child and the Child's Parents to "Wait on Jehovah" and "Jehovah will bring it all out someday" (at Armageddon).
16: If the Child was molested by her/his Father, Mother, or other immediate Family Member, the Elders send the Child back home to the "innocent" Family Members so the Child can be molested again.
17: The Child decides to warn another Child or Parent about the Child Molester.
18: The Child is then brought before a Judicial Hearing and the Elders Disfellowship the Child for "Slandering an Innocent Brother".
19: The Child is Shunned by all of the Jehovah's Witnesses.
20: Meanwhile the Child Molester is "Innocent" and a "Brother in Good Standing" who is going Door-To-Door, Pioneering, giving Talks, and is on his way to becoming a Ministerial Servant and possibly an Elder!
21: The Child's Parents decide to go to the Police to turn the Child Molester in, and they also go to the Media to speak out about this Policy.
22: The Child's Parents are brought before a Judicial Hearing for "Causing Divisions" and "Undermining the Authority of the Governing Body" and "Undermining the Arrangements of the Organization".
23: The Parents are Disfellowshipped and Shunned.
24: Meanwhile, "Brother Innocent Molester" has just been promoted by "holy spirit" and is now your Ministerial Servant!
25: Any Jehovah's Witnesses who talk to the Victim or the Victim's Parents will also be Disfellowshipped!
Also, there is a "3-Year Statue of Limitations" on Sins.
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Scenario # 2: In a State that does NOT Require Clergy to Report Sexual Abuse to the Police, and the Child Molester CONFESSES to the charges:
1: The Child is Unfortunately Molested.
2: The Child talks with the Elders.
3: The Untrained Volunteer Elders "Investigate" the charges.
4: The Elders ask the Child about all of the details of the abuse.
5: The Elders then ask the Child, Do you have a 2nd witness to the act of abuse? (According to Awake Magazine, very few Children ever lie about being abused)
6: The Child, of course, says No.
7: The Elders then ask the accused Child Molester, Did you sexually abuse this child?
8: The Accused Molester Confesses to the Elders.
9: The Confessed Child Molester tells the Elders he is really sorry and repentant and puts on a great act for the Elders.
10: The Elders decide not to Disfellowship this "Weak Brother".
11: The Elders Privately Reprove the Molester.
12: The Elders call the Bethel Legal Department for instructions.
13: The Bethel Legal Department tells the Elders that they are NOT in a Mandatory-Reporting State for Clergy, so they are not required to report it to the Police, and the Bethel Legal Department tells Elders not to report because you would not want to get yourself in a jam.
14: The Child Molester is supposedly not allowed to Pioneer or go Door-To-Door alone or to be a Ministerial Servant or an Elder (at least not until enough time has passed)
15: The Elders supposedly Keep an eye on him.
16: NO Report is made to the Police.
17: NO Warning is given to the Congregation that he a Predator waiting to molest more Children!
18: NO Warning is given to the Molester's immediate Family.
19: NO ONE in the Congregation knows ANYTHING about this except for the Victim, the Molester, the Elders and the Bethel Legal Department.
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Scenario # 3: In a Non-Mandatory Clergy Reporting State, in the extremely unlikely event that the Child Molester is Disfellowshipped, the following happens:
1: Elders make NO Warning to the Congregation about him being a Molester.
2: NO Warning is given to the Molester's immediate Family.
3: Elders make NO Report to the Police.
4: The Molester is free to molest Worldly People or members of his immediate Family.
5: If he puts on a good act for the Elders, he can be Re-Instated months later.
6: When he is Re-Instated, no one (except Elders and Victims and Bethel) will ever know what he was Disfellowshipped for.
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Scenario # 4: In a Mandatory Reporting State for Clergy!
1: Elders supposedly encourage the Victim to Report to the Police.
2: Elders supposedly encourage the accused Molester to Report to the Police.
3: Only as a last resort, Elders are supposed to Report the Molester to the Police if they are inside a Mandatory Reporting State for Clergy.
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Yes, can't you tell that this is all a STRONG AGRESSIVE BIBLE-BASED(TM) POLICY!
Consider this. The average education of an elder is just a High School diploma. This doesn't qualify him for any type of counseling, not even my dog. And as I have been following the thread in these posts I shudder at the psychological damage that is done to the youngsters who are forced to sit in a room and face their molestor and recount the molestations. They do not realize they are re molesting the child all over again. I work at a substance abuse clinic and one of our outreach programs deals with woman who are substance abusers and battered also. I work as an advocate for the clients of all the programs. Having visited this outreach program and hearing some of the horror stories these women relate I have found that many of them where abused and molested as children. It takes highly skilled and trained councilors to be able to deal with this trauma. An uneducated person can cause irreversible damage to the psyche of of one of these women. Many of them turned to drugs or alcohol to forget their pasts. So I ask you, does the WT or its trained clowns, the elders, have any concept of the damage a committee meeting has on a child or teen that deals with molestation or abuse? Or is all they care about is the so called pristine image of the organization? The parents are to blame also. They should never allow their child to be submitted to this type of cross examination or embarassment. The effects later in life can take a hefty toll. I know, I am a victim who never spoke out and lived with what I thought was my sin. I turned to alcohol to forget. But after getting help I am dealing with the issues and my heart goes out to all those victims who fall prey to the so called princes among men. Peace.
Welcome to the board, docpalo,
Yes, the supporters of Silentlambs know full well the horrible impact these JC meetings have on abused ones. But you are correct that the WTBTs protects its image, NO MATTER WHAT!
If only we could get the whole world to realize how dangerous the JWs are in handling this one factor! sheesh.
j2bf
Get your flamethrowers out...dissenter on board...
But first of all, I have a question on this:
they are expected to report the allegation to the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses in their country, if local privacy laws permit.
Does anyone know if there are any US privacy laws that would legally STOP an elder from reporting?
Now, my opinion on the matter is, I think it is great that the WT has come out with this. Now every JW can have in writing that it is their right to report any molestation to the police as stated below:
Additionally, the victim may wish to report the matter to the authorities, and it is his or her absolute right to do so.
I'm sure we all agree that their policy on reporting needs to change and that any accusation should be reported to the authorities in any state, or world wide for that matter.
However I have read numerous people criticizing the two witness rule for the congregation to take judicial action. I don't see the advantage of that. Would you prefer the elders to have the authority to just DF anyone based on the account of one person? I realize that most people don't cry wolf in these types of accusations, but that does not mean it cannot happen. I would prefer for JWs to keep the 2 witness rule with the ability to take judicial action if a court of law finds him/her guilty. But even then, it's not quite as important as if a person is found guilty in a court of law, they no doubt will be locked away anyway. After the government releases them for serving what they deem as necessary punishment, I think it is the JWs right to forgive the wrongdoer and welcome him back to the congregation (as long as he is kept out of positions.)
I need to run, so I can't flesh my post out fully, but any responses on this are welcome, but please keep them civilised.
the elders may be required by law to report even uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations to the authorities
MAY Be May be like they have any authority to investigate they make me sick. The idiots each and EVERY case should be reported to the PROPER authorities
Hey amac. I'm not following you around but
Does anyone know if there are any US privacy laws that would legally STOP an elder from reporting?
It all depends on whether they consider themselves clergy or not. In the WTS publications, they pat themselves on the back saying they do not have a clergy-laity class like BTG but then turn around and invoked the confidentiality exception to reporting for the clergy in many states.
*** w95 5/15 18 Flashes of Light-Great and Small (Part 1) ***
*** w94 2/15 7 Are Jehovah's Witnesses a Cult? ***
*** w74 10/15 630-1 How Are Jehovah's Witnesses Different? ***
*** w71 6/1 330 Are You Waiting for "The Call"? ***
{{{{{{{{{{{{ QUEENIE!!! }}}}}}}}}}}}}
Good lawd woman!! Thank you so much for sharing these painful items here. And not one response! I just now saw this thread.
Do you yahoo, at all? I'd like to chat about the 'valley days'. I'll explain in chat.
What a nightmare you have lived. Glad you shared it. Take good care!!
sKally, sf klass
