Mr Jackson was asked to what extent the Jehovah’s Witness organisation was bound by the Scriptures to maintain and apply the two‐witness rule.610 He did not respond to the question, instead telling the Royal Commission that he ‘thought that that had already been established in the hearings, but, if not, certainly that is something that we need to follow up’.611
It is submitted that Mr Jackson was evasive and unhelpful in assisting the Royal Commission to understand whether there is scope for interpretation of the two‐witness rule such that would allow for action to be taken in circumstances where there is only one direct witness to an incident of child sexual abuse
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Mr Jackson said that there is no Biblical impediment to women being involved in the investigation of alleged sexual abuse.633 He told the Royal Commission that in circumstances where elders cannot talk to a victim because perhaps to do so would traumatise the victim too much, two women close to the victim may take the victim’s testimony and convey it to the investigating elders.634 Mr Jackson agreed, however, that one of the tasks of elders who hear allegations of child sexual abuse is to measure the credibility of the person alleging the abuse.635
Available findings on the investigation process
F41 There are no circumstances in which the survivor of a sexual assault should have to make her allegation in the presence of the person whom she accuses of having assaulted her, and, contrary to the present position, the documents, manuals and instructions produced by the Jehovah’s Witness organisation should make this clear. F42 The requirement that two or more eyewitnesses to the same incident are required in the absence of a confession from the accused, the testimony of two or three witnessesto separate incidents of the same kind of wrongdoing, or strong circumstantial evidence testified to by at least two witnesses (i.e. the two witness rule): a) means that in respect of child sexual abuse which almost invariably occurs in private, very often no finding of guilt will be made in respect of a guilty accused b) causes victims of child sexual abuse to feel unheard and unsupported when it results in allegations of child sexual abuse not being upheld c) is a danger to children in the Jehovah’s Witness organisation because its consequence is that very often nothing is done about an abuser in the organisation d) does not seem to be applied by the Jehovah’s Witness organisation in the case of an accusation of adultery, which suggests that adultery is taken more seriously by the organisation than child sexual abuse, and e) needs to be revisited by the Jehovah’s Witness organisation with a view to abandoning it or at least reformulating it to ensure that safe decisions as to someone being guilty of child sexual abuse can be made more easily. F43 The requirement that only elders (i.e. men) can participate in the making of decisions in the investigation process on whether or not someone has committed child sexual abuse: a) is a fundamental flaw in that process which weakens the decisions by excluding women, andb) needs to be revisited by the Jehovah’s Witness organisation to ensure a meaningful role for women.
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Mr Jackson agreed that the documents, manuals and instructions of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation should make clear that a survivor ofsexual assaultshould not have to make her allegation in the face of her abuser.860
Available findings on the accessibility of procedures and policies
F68 The Jehovah’s Witness organisation’s documented procedures for reporting on and responding to allegations of child sexual abuse are deficient in that they are not documented in such a way as to be easily accessible in one document and available to all interested or affected parties and some matters that are stated to be the policies or practices of the organisation are not recorded at all.
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Mr Jackson ultimately agreed that if a person ‘definitely’ no longer wants to be subject to the Jehovah’s Witness organisation’s discipline and rules, then they must actively leave the organisation by disassociating.879 A person who merely becomes inactive, or ‘fades’, is still regarded to be a Jehovah’s Witness by the organisation and is therefore still subject to its rules and disciplinary procedures. Such a person is therefore still susceptible to being disfellowshipped for some or other ‘offence’ under the rules of the organisation. 511
It issubmitted that Mr Jackson’s oral evidence isinconsistent with the position regarding disassociation published to Jehovah’s Witnesses internationally in the form of the Organized to do Jehovah’s Will handbook. It is further submitted that the true position in relation to a person who no longer wants to be known as a Jehovah’s Witness and who no longer wishes to be subject to the organisation’s rules and regulations, is that as recorded in the Organized to do Jehovah’s Will handbook.
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Mr Jackson told the Royal Commission that the Scriptural basis for shunning can be found in the passage starting at 1 Corinthians 5:1.894 However, this passage deals explicitly with circumstances of sexual immorality existing in the congregation and Paul says that the man who committed the deed must be handed over to Satan ‘so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord’ (verse 5). Paul also says that the congregation must ‘stop keeping company with sexually immoral people’ (verse 9). 523 The passage would therefore appear to provide some Scriptural basis to the practice of shunning those who have been found guilty of some or other gross sexual sin (withinthe rules of the organisation), but provides no basis at all for the practice of shunning those who merely seek to exercise their right to leave the organisation. 524 The Jehovah’s Witness organisation’s practice of shunning those who leave the organisation is also in conflict with Mr Jackson’s evidence that Jehovah God is a compassionate God895 and that Jehovah God recognises the worth and dignity of all human beings.896
Available findings on shunning
F69 Members of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation who no longer want to be subject to the organisation’s rules and discipline have no alternative than to leave the organisation which requires that they disassociate from it. F70 The Jehovah’s Witness organisation’s policy of requiring its adherents to actively shun those who leave the organisation: a) makes it extremely difficult for someone to leave the organisation b) is cruel on those who leave and on their friends and family who remain behind c) is particularly cruel on those who have suffered child sexual abuse in the organisation and who wish to leave because they feel that their complaints about it have not been adequately dealt with d) is not apparently justified by the Scriptures which are cited in support of it e) is adopted and enforced in order to prevent people from leaving the organisation and thereby to maintain its membership, and f) is in conflict with the organisation’s professed support for freedom of religious choice and the belief that Jehovah God is a compassionate God who recognisesthe worth and dignity of all human beings.
I can see some heavy fine coming to the Corporation if they don't comply and I think it is gonna take a couple of go rounds till these clown get the message and comply with these findings maybe even an end to shunning as it is too costly to maintain with mounting legal troubles.
I think that about covers Mr Jackson role of extreme hypocrite, I bet this ain't gonna be the last time we see this creep in court in fact I picture the whole Governing Body soon having their day in court and the face the denial they've kept in place
