HELP! WT denies possesion of personal data

izobcenec

Oto Lutar, former JW, recently sent this letter to our branch office in Slovenia:

Dear Sirs

My name is Oto Lutar. I was a member of the Association of Jehovahs Witnesses until 20.12. 2001 when I was disfellowshiped. Up to now I haven't received any official document regarding my disfellowshippment. In the archives of the congregation Murska Sobota and in the archives of the principal office in Ljubljana there are some documents with my personal data. Therefore I require from the Association of Jehovahs Witnesses that they should hand me over copies of all the documents with my personal data: the copy of the congregational publishers card, a copy of the S-77 form, all copies of my hearing by the judicial committee and the copies of any other documents containing my personal data. Besides I demand from the Association of Jehovahs Witnesses an official confirmation of my disfellowshippment.

I stand to my rights stated in the Data Protection Act by Republic of Slovenia.
After about a month, we recieved this reply:

Dear Sirs,Regarding your request for handing over all the copies of your personal documents to you personally we wish to inform you that here in our archives and in the registry of the congregation in Murska Sobota we do not possess any documents containing your personal data.

In the states where the data protection law is in force the Association of Jehovahs Witnesses use no documents containing an personal data, except from the publishers card which is destroyed when the individual is disassociated or disfellowshipped.

We enclose herewith: the atestation letterTHE ATESTATION LETTERWith this atestation letter we confirm that Oto Lutar, living in Cresnjevci 59, Gornja Radgona. is not a member of the Association of Jehovahs Witnesses.Oto is planning to write another request to them. Now, how can he prove, they still have those documents? If you have any ideas, please help.

Thanx in advance!

Izzy

Guest 77

I would suggest contacting brother James Bond, but I think he's on vacation.

This is a case where you have to give them the benefit of the doubt, unless, you have some inside connections to help you. I mean Jehovah's witnesses don't lie, do they, they just don't tell the ENTIRE truth.

Now, if only you were a computer hacker you wouldn't have any problems would you? Personally, I don't care whether they have me on file or not. I'm taking up their space and I'm not paying for it. I wish you the best.

Guest 77

JT

Now, how can he prove, they still have those documents? If you have any ideas, please help.
********

unless you can get a:

1. Court Order

2. A Friend who works the Service Desk

you are out of luck- wt has indicated that all Documents have been destroyed in countries where they have Data protection laws, but other than a court order and a buddy on the inside you are out of luck

uriah

I didn't think slovania had any laws let alone data protection or any protection come to that or am I being american in my outlook?

ozziepost

G'day Izzy,

I suspect that the Slovenia branch is speaking truthfully, if not candidly, in stating that "we do not possess any documents containing your personal data".

Why is that? Because they destroyed the evidence! That's standard procedure. Elders are instructed to destroy congregation records when the secular authorities request them or produce a search warrant to gain them. This was referred to in the Sunday program "Silent Witnesses".

Cheers, Ozzie

Shakita

In Crisis of Conscience by Ray Franz, Ray Franz requested the tapes of his judicial hearings and testimony with the Governing Body be sent to him when he left Bethel which was an agreement he had with the GB. At first the GB said they would consider this, then they reconsidered and told him he couldn't have them, then Ray Franz requested the Governing Body to destroy them if they didn't intend on giving him a copy. They wrote Ray Franz back saying that they had destroyed the tapes.

I guess that if they say they destroyed any personal records, you have no choice but to believe them. Or else, it will cost you a small fortune to hire a lawyer to investigate this. And, the WT knows this.

Mrs. Shakita

izobcenec

first, thank you for your thoughts...

what if oto would once ask for reinstatment? and let's say that
the judicial commitee members would die by then or leave the org.
how would they reconsider his reinstatment, if they dont have
anything written?

also, the elders must visit DF and DA persons every year...that
means, they have a list of all DF and DA persons...

Edited by - izobcenec on 18 December 2002 8:35:18

wheelwithinwheel

Unless the case is very complicated there probably wasnt much correspondence and anyway you can be sure now that everything has been destroyed or filed away where you would never be able to get it. IMO the few papers they might? have wouldnt be worth the trouble of retrieving. They do not keep much paper work on anyone. They dont need any. They do whatever they want without it.

izobcenec

one more thing...they destroyed oto's "publishers record card"...
how can they just destroy his personal data without his permission?

what if he would ask them when and why did they destroy his
personal data and if they can provide a statement from person,who
destroyed his data with his signature and if there were at least two
witnesses :)

Edited by - izobcenec on 18 December 2002 8:44:47

BluesBrother

I was already inactive by the time that Data Protection came into the U K , but the comments that I remember second hand were that "Elders would rely on Holy Spirit and their memories" when dealing with re instatement hearings.

If your elders followed instructions, there will be nothing for them to send you a copy of.

HELP! WT denies possesion of personal data

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