If an elder decides he wants to report child molestation to police.

by poopie 25 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  freddo

  I did this when I was an elder in the UK.

  I reasoned that it was a "moral" - as in I just had to do it, not look at me taking the moral high ground - decision and let the chips fall where they may. The branch sent a lackey CO to sniff around and I looked him in the eye and told him I believed the matter was sub judice and had nothing to say. He pushed and I told him that if he pursued it then I would report him and whoever sent him to the police for hampering a police investigation. They backed off. I remained an elder.

  Imagine a Child Molester sues me for going to the Police ...

  1. Does the law in the UK view a JW elder as being legally bound not to disclose?

  2. If it did, if I was charged and a court decided so, what would my penalty be?

  Exactly - what Judge is going to lock me up or impose a fine for that in this day and age.

  3. Imagine it is a civil case - and the perpetrator sues me. What damages will he be awarded?

  Exactly.

  IN THIS DAY AND AGE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO WENT TO THE POLICE?
• 

  freddo

  Also - just an opinion - "Richard Oliver's" postings while being portrayed as the voice of legal accuracy and reason seem unfailingly supportive of whatever Watchtower do by way of "child protection."

  Why would anyone feel impelled to support such behaviour so frequently and so often I cannot comprehend.

  But that's just me "Richard", eh?
• 

  Richard Oliver

  Yes, how dare I bring out facts. Facts such as one case where a person confessed to a minister that he abused a child, and that the minister wanted to do the right thing and report it, but the appeals court found that the testimony of the minister and her reporting it was a reversible error by the trial court and remanded it back to the court for a whole new trial. Courts have found that even if the person is being punished by the religion the information is still privileged or that if a report is made to the national headquarters of a religion again still privileged or if there are more than one minister hearing the confession again still privileged. Even with witnesses, the MacFarland court ruled that letters from elders to the service department that was sole of a religious nature were privileged communication. So again it depends on how the statute is written.
• 

  Lostandfound

  Not many elders hear a confession of child abuse. If an elder became aware of an allegation should he not go to whatever competent authority there is. No clergy type secrecy applies. Child abuse alleged or disproved is in the province of caesars authorities.
• 

  Hecce

  From a previous thread:

  Allegedly, after the father served most of his sentence, he wanted to be reinstated so that he could go back to being a JW after he got out. The special committee voted on it and although it wasn't unanimous, he was reinstated. Allegedly, they wanted to send a letter of warning to the congregation that this guy would be attending their congregation once he was out of prison but the "society" forbade it. My friend sent a letter anyway on his own and allegedly, was removed for doing so. Shortly thereafter, he left the organization completely over this and some of the other alleged "goings on" that one sees at his level in the organization.

  https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5157775703277568/disappearance-special-committees?page=2
  

  
  
  
• 

  Landy

  Why would anyone feel impelled to support such behaviour so frequently and so often I cannot comprehend.

  You mean why would someone dare have a different opinion to you?

  Shocking isn't it!