UK Charity Commision reports on Moston, Manchester Congregation.

by snugglebunny 45 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

stuckinarut2

It is happening WORLD WIDE!
Is Jehovah asleep? Cant he prevent such "reproach being brought onto his name"?
John Free

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40719773?SThisFB
Listener
The Fall Guy linked to the complete report of the Commission's findings in regards to the Manchester Congregation. Here's the link again.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/manchester-new-moston-congregation-of-jehovahs-witnesses-inquiry-report/manchester-new-moston-congregation-of-jehovahs-witnesses
This is the conclusion from that report
Conclusions
The Commission has concluded that the charity’s trustees did not deal adequately with allegations of child sexual abuse in 2012 and 2013 against one of the trustees. This is because they did not:
Identify one allegation as potential child sexual abuse, believing it to be merely ‘a matter between 2 teenagers’.
Properly take account of an earlier allegation of child sexual abuse when considering new allegations made in 2012.
Fully enforce the restrictions the trustees decided to place on Mr Rose’s activities in February and July 2012.
Consider and deal with potential conflicts of loyalty within the trustee body.
Keep an adequate written record of the decision making process used to manage the potential risks posed by Mr Rose to the beneficiaries of the charity.
The Commission has also concluded that the charity’s trustees did not deal adequately with a misconduct appeal hearing against Mr Rose in 2014 following his release from prison. This is because victims were effectively required to attend the misconduct appeal hearing and repeat their allegations in the presence of the abuser, and the abuser was permitted to question the alleged victims. Although the trustees did not themselves conduct the hearing, they remain responsible for ensuring that the charity’s procedures do not expose its beneficiaries or others to significant risks of harm, and they failed to do this.
It is the inquiry’s view that the charity’s trustees did not cooperate openly and transparently with the Commission. In particular, they did not provide accurate and complete answers to the Commission regarding the earlier allegation of child sexual abuse and the conduct of the misconduct hearing against the former trustee. The inquiry was concerned that the charity trustees did not report a serious incident to the Commission.
The above matters constitute misconduct or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
The charity has a written policy on child safeguarding. It also has internal procedures for the handling of misconduct allegations within its congregation, which are used to deal with allegations of child sexual abuse.
The Commission welcomes the changes implemented to the procedures since the launch of the inquiry for the handling of misconduct allegations and to the child safeguarding policy applicable to the charity. These revisions improve the charity’s written policy and procedures for handling child safeguarding allegations, including by making clear that victims of child sexual abuse are not required to make their allegations in the presence of the alleged abuser, and providing for protective restrictions to be put in place in all cases where an individual is found to have engaged in child sexual abuse by the criminal courts.
The policy and procedures are common to all Jehovah’s Witness congregations in England and Wales and are being examined further as part of the Commission’s ongoing inquiry into WTBTSB. The Commission is also examining as part of the ongoing WTBTSB inquiry the practical measures which will be taken to minimise the risk of the issues identified by this inquiry from recurring in other congregations. Issues of particular relevance to this inquiry that will be examined further in the WTBTSB inquiry include:
the application of the ‘two-witness rule’
how and to what extent in practice victims will be involved in future Judicial Committees and related procedures the practice of requiring victims to confront their abuser during the judicial committee procedure
record keeping and disclosure of information to public bodies and individual
The Commission has accused the Elders of that Congregation of misconduct or mismanagement. Reading the report discloses a number of injustices carried out by these Elders in the carrying out of the very duties they have been appointed to do by the organisation. Their incompetence means they are far from being 'beyond reproach' and under the organisations own requirements, do not qualify to maintain their positions.
The organisation may say that they are just imperfect men but to actively try and prevent the Commission from holding the investigations in the first place is wicked.
They may not pay any taxes but because of that they have set themselves up as a charity and are subject to the laws under which the Commission subjects them to. How they must hate it when they now realise how far that Commission is willing to investigate and expose them.
Listener
The Commission is still investigating the British Branch and are still requesting for victims to report to them. This is their contact details and request, the link is in the OP
The Commissionencourages people who have been affected by safeguarding in congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in England and Wales to make contact with the investigations team at [email protected].
Interestingly, the safeguarding policy does not cover just child sexual abuse but it includes any harm. This is an excerpt from the legal requirements
2. Safeguarding
Safeguarding is a term which is broader than ‘child protection’ and relates to the action taken to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding is defined in Working together to safeguard children 2013 as:
protecting children from maltreatment
preventing impairment of children’s health and development
ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care and
taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes
Trustees of charities which work with vulnerable groups, including children, must always act in their best interests and ensure they take all reasonable steps to prevent harm to them. Having safeguards in place within an organisation not only protects and promotes the welfare of children but also it enhances the confidence of trustees, staff, volunteers, parents/carers and the general public.
I wonder if the Commission is aware of the shunning policies that children (defined as children under 18) may be subjected to and whether victims have reported to the Commission or whether we need to promote this?
jwleaks

LINK to image Diagram of Jehovah’s Witnesses organisational structure
Diagram of Jehovah's Witnesses organisational structure (according to Charity Report)

Diagram of Jehovah's Witnesses organisational structure (according to the governing body)
freddo

From NWT ...
Elder qualifications ...
(1 Timothy 3:1, 7) 3 This statement is trustworthy: If a man is reaching out to be an overseer, he is desirous of a fine work. ...
7 Moreover, he should also have a "fine testimony from outsiders" so that he does not fall into reproach and a snare of the Devil.
Looks like a dozen or more elders don't qualify according to my reading of the bible ...
darkspilver

Featured towards the end of the BBC TV's Main National News broadcast
BBC - News at 10pm - 26 July 2017
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08yw11v/bbc-news-at-ten-26072017
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh1KIZzHFfg
darkspilver

RECAP of ONLINE links (plus some new ones - Times and Manchester Evening News)

In addition to the BBC TV news item (see above).....

Charity Commission - Press Release
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/investigation-leads-to-improvements-in-safeguarding-at-jehovahs-witnesses-charity

Charity Commission - Report
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/manchester-new-moston-congregation-of-jehovahs-witnesses-inquiry-report/manchester-new-moston-congregation-of-jehovahs-witnesses

The Guardian (website of major 'quality' national daily newspaper)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/26/jehovahs-witnesses-criticised-over-handling-of-child-abuse-case

The Daily Telegraph (website of major 'quality' national daily newspaper)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/26/jehovahs-witnesses-attacked-charity-commission-paedophilia-cover/

The Times (website of major 'quality' national daily newspaper)
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jehovah-s-witnesses-let-convicted-paedophile-interrogate-victims-hj05xhdt9

Manchester Evening News (website of the major local newspaper)
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/jehovahs-witnesses-criticised-charity-commission-13391368

BBC News (website of major national TV broadcaster)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40719773

Third Sector (website of specialist charity related news)
http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/jehovahs-witnesses-guilty-serious-safeguarding-failings/governance/article/1440568
darkspilver

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Interesting to compare The Daily Telegraph's online and offline (printed) versions of the same story.
ONline they say: 'attacked' and 'damning report'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/26/jehovahs-witnesses-attacked-charity-commission-paedophilia-cover/
OFFline, in print, they say: 'criticised' and 'watchdog report'
For reference, below is the printed newspaper story/text (full page scan at bottom for context):

The Daily Telegraph - Thursday 27 July 2017 - Page 11
Jehovah’s Witnesses criticised for paedophilia cover-up
Charity that allowed sex abuser to question accusers face-to-face 'badly let down' children
A Jehovah's Witness group has been criticised by the Charity Commission for covering up allegations of paedophilia against one of its former leaders.
Trustees of Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses “did not report the allegation of child sexual abuse to police or to other authorities”, said the charities watchdog report. “Nor did it report the matter as a serious incident to the commission.”
The charity “badly let down” victims of child abuse in its handling of allegations against Jonathan Rose, a former trustee subsequently convicted of indecent assault against a member of the congregation. After Rose was released from custody in 2014, the elders of the congregation brought his accusers face-to-face with him. The accusers were then cross-examined by Rose and seven elders. The inquiry was told that one alleged victim was asked by the panel, “Did you ever egg him on? Goad him on?” while Rose asked her: “What was I supposed to have done to you that night?” and pushed her to go into detail about what happened.
Rose was arrested in 1994 after a “child beneficiary” of the charity made allegations about sexual abuse to church elders, and later the police. He stood trial but was acquitted. The Charity Commission found that trustees had dismissed this incident as “a matter between two teenagers” – Rose was 19 at the time and his accuser was 15 – rather than “child abuse”. As such they had “failed to demonstrate a sufficient understanding of child sex abuse”, the report found.
Rose was arrested again in 2012 and appeared in court charged with sexual offences. He was convicted in 2013 of indecent assault and sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment. The commission found the charity did not deal adequately with allegations of child sexual abuse in 2012 and 2013 against Rose. The report made findings of misconduct and mismanagement against the charity’s trustees.
Harvey Grenville, the commission’s head of investigations and enforcement, said, “The victims were badly let down by the charity” but it has “improved its procedures around the handling of child safeguarding concerns and its internal disciplinary process”.
He said that the charity has now changed its policies to ensure that “victims of child sexual abuse are not required to make their allegations in the presence of the alleged abuser”.
A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses said: “Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse in all of its forms and do not shield wrongdoers from the authorities or from the consequences of their actions. All allegations of abuse are thoroughly investigated and appropriate restrictions are imposed on any person guilty of child sexual abuse. The trustees will continue to concentrate on doing all they can to safeguard children.”
The Daily Telegraph - Thursday 27 July 2017 - Page 11
darkspilver

THE TIMES

Only change between the ONline and OFFline (printed) versions appears to be the headline.

ONline headline: JWs let convicted paedophile interrogate victims
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jehovah-s-witnesses-let-convicted-paedophile-interrogate-victims-hj05xhdt9

OFFline, in print, headline: JWs let abuser interrogate victims
Body of article same as online (below is a full page scan for context)

The Times - Thursday 27 July 2017 - Page 23

UK Charity Commision reports on Moston, Manchester Congregation.

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