Utah Jehovah’s Witnesses church forced woman to listen to audio of her rape, lawsuit says

AndersonsInfo

http://www.sltrib.com/news/4465861-155/woman-sues-utah-jehovahs-witnesses-church

A woman is suing a Jehovah's Witnesses church in Weber County after, she says, one of its instructors repeatedly raped her when she was a minor and the organization's leadership forced her to listen to an audio recording of one of the assaults.

The woman filed the lawsuit Wednesday in 2nd District Court, accusing the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses church in Roy — as well as naming the alleged perpetrator, several church leaders and the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the religion's headquarters located in New York) — of knowingly allowing the "unfit" instructor to rise to a position of authority without warning members of his "dangerous propensities" and past sexual transgressions.

No representative of the Roy church, 1950 W. 4400 South, responded to a voicemail from The Salt Lake Tribune requesting comment Thursday.

The Tribune generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault. Because the man accused of assaulting the woman in this case has not been charged with a crime, The Tribune is not identifying him. It is not clear whether she reported the alleged incident to police, but members of the faith are encouraged to bring problems to elders in the church, rather than to outside authorities.

The girl's interactions with the instructor began in summer 2007, the lawsuit states, when she attended a movie with him. When driving her home from the theater, the instructor took her phone and told her she had to kiss him on the cheek to get it back. When she refused, he kicked her out of the car and drove off, returning a short while later to pick her up.

The purported assaults escalated from there, according to court documents, as the man three times bound the girl's wrists and ankles with duck tape, placed a sock in her mouth and covered her head with a pillowcase, leaving her alone in the backseat of his car for one to two hours each time.

Chook

I hope they have to sell ten halls to give this poor girl a cheque. Absolute evil ,another lamb fed to the wolves.

Saename

If proven true... he better rot in jail. Hell, they should tie him up and starve him each day for hours. Too bad that'd be illegal.

Seriously... something has to be done about those religions that don't tolerate even the basic human rights.

OrphanCrow

from the article:

In April 2008, the Roy church formed a judicial committee to investigate whether the girl engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior — "a serious sin" in the religion. During the meeting that included her mother and stepfather, the lawsuit states, church leaders played a recording of one of the purported rapes, obtained from the instructor, for four to five hours "repeatedly stopping and starting the audio tape ... suggesting that she consented to the sexual behavior."

Question:

Why would the act have been recorded?

Tallon

Words fail me. Sickening beyond belief.

I hope the authorities throw the book at this (expletive) and the WTBTS for this crime.

I hope that this woman eventually makes a full recovery from this sickening ordeal.

Saename

Maybe it's the guy's fetish?

Anyway, I don't understand those elders. They should rot in jail along with the rapist.

rebel8

Question: Why would the act have been recorded?

So he can relive it later on for his enjoyment, probably.

My first reaction is, even though I have zero proof this actually happened, the entire story is plausible.

OrphanCrow

Saename: Maybe it's the guy's fetish?

Well, if it was, the elders enabled his fetish to be acted out on upon the victim. She was forced to listen to 4/5 hours of the accused's recording. He must have really got off on that. Just like all the abusers do in judicial hearings....they like being able to face their accuser and have the victim re-live the experience. In front of others, too - a voyeuristic experience.

The JCs serve the desires of the accused. The JCs are just another acting out for the pervs - and one that is rewarded with 4 to 5 hours of their fetish being shared by a whole bunch of people - the victim, her parents, and the elders - they all get to participate in his sick desires, talk about it and listen to it.

recovering

one of its instructors repeatedly raped her when she was a minor and the organization's leadership forced her to listen to an audio recording of one of the assaults.

During the meeting that included her mother and stepfather, the lawsuit states, church leaders played a recording of one of the purported rapes, obtained from the instructor, for four to five hours "repeatedly stopping and starting the audio tape ... suggesting that she consented to the sexual behavior."

Really what don't the elders understand? A minor can not consent to sex by law?

Pedophile paradise indeed

rebel8

Too bad she is only suing for $300,000. That is not enough of a punishment and surely is not enough compensation.

Maybe the statute of limitations has passed, but wouldn't the elders' actions be criminal too? They forced a child to listen to violent sexual material. Wouldn't that be the same as forcing a child to view porn?

ETA: Nope. But it has to be against some law, no? Endangering the welfare of a minor?

Utah Jehovah’s Witnesses church forced woman to listen to audio of her rape, lawsuit says

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