New rules for child sexual abuse?

by formerministerial 24 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  formerministerial

  A European Jehovah's Witness, who served in an important branch, has sent me the following rumor.

  Some serious sources are mentioned. It clearly shake my perspective of what is going to happen in the coming months.

  I'm totally shocked !

  The law firm managing all the interests of the WT has studied the problem in Europe on data protection and actions on files and protocols of child abuse

  They prepared a draft for the Legal Department, to create specific instructions for European Union countries:

  - eliminate records, files, data instructions at European level, branches and congregations

  - local elders have to take the decision, according to their inner conscience, that any future case of sexual abuse is exclusively a matter for parents and judicial authorities.

  - prepare a entity to join abuse victims to care for their pain and provide biblical help, as a way to counteract the general opinion that JW has tolerated the abuses within their congregations.

  It's just a rumor, but the source is reliable: a very important European branch elder, he has been out of Bethel for several years, after receiving a significant financial compensation, according to local laws.

  I publish it here in order to check if you heard similar points to establish more reliability.
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  zeb

  Does anyone wish to be an elder? Be prepared to be thrown under a bus..

  fm. what does a entity ..mean please?
  

  'provide biblical help' ear bash the victims with wt quotes, directives and gobbledygook. None of which will mean a thing to a victim who has been betrayed by carriers of such prose.
  

  ..................................................
  

  The CARC (ARC), the Conti case, the charity investigation in the UK, the 35 million settlement recently and who knows hm more such cases have been settled and / or are coming have seriously rattled them.
  

  The Canadian class action too has yet to really bare its teeth.

  But which wt spokesman said 'we will never change the two witness rule'.No friends they wont change it they are planning if the original posting is true to leave it up to individual elders to determine course of action and cop what s*** that comes.

  and their old standby of , 'call the branch office' will no longer apply.
  
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  eyeuse2badub

  If it's true, it's a very sound move by the wt corporation to cover their asses. If you are an elder, your ass is very exposed. The "two witness" rule will morph into the "overlapping witness" rule.

  just saying!
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  tiki

  If true, a ploy to absolve responsibility on an organizational level....and protect assets.....leave the issue to locals involved...which could be a good thing provided they go to authorities and let the law prosecute offenders. And get the victims the therapy they need to heal.
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  burnedout

  When I was an elder I was always concerned about personal liability in a csa case. I even asked the other elders and PO if we should purchase liability insurance. They laughed at me and said "No, the WT legal department will handle that." Will the WT pay the fines for the elders in the recent cases?

  It also troubled me I was able to know who the abusers are and protect my own children but the rest of the congregation would not have this knowledge. I would look around the KH and see all the families and think how dangerous this is...
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  Giordano

  If it's true, it's a very sound move by the wt corporation to cover their asses. If you are an elder, your ass is very exposed.

  I think it covers the WT's dirty little asses for future cases but not for the past as we see with successful legal cases and big financial losses going forward.
  

  Two observations: With Elders potentially being hung out to dry....... the congregations of the JW's need to remove themselves from conducting tribunal's on matters that are criminal offenses...... like Child abuse, rape, scams etc. by a JW on other Jws or the public community at large. Stop thinking about sins between consenting adults and start being concerned about crimes.

  A kingdom Hall is fire bombed or broken into with great damage.......do the Elder(s) call the Branch as to how they should respond or do they immediately call the Fire and Police Department? Even though they don't have any witnesses to the crime or fire let alone two witnesses?

  Crimes are to be reported to local Law enforcement which have the means and experience to investigate and prosecute.

  Become more like our local churches which allow people, that decide to exercise their desire to be free of religion, leave with dignity. Who are not hounded the way many low life religions........ like Scientologists, the Amish, the Mormons, the JWs and a fair number of other cult religions treat their followers. The WTBTS has to understand that they can not enjoy converting people under the freedom of religion clause then deny them a dignified exit so they can be free of that religion if and when they decide to leave.

  The number one issue the Catholic Church is losing followers is because of the issue of Child Sexual Abuse. As it becomes better known among the JW's that will become the primary reason for many thinking JW's to leave....... as well as many Elders resigning ..........Elders will no longer have any high ground to run to.

  Jesus did say 'don't hinder the children coming to me.' He did not say when it came to children that the child needs the two witnesses rule to prove they were abused.

  The WT will never learn because they have been trained to live in a world that will never exist.

  For those Elders reading this...it's time to get out and/or reduce your presence and legal obligations and stop weighing in on things you have no experience or knowledge of like Blood transfusions. Like higher education.

  Your in over your head .........It's time to get out. The Society is heading into FUBAR condition......F*%ked Up Beyond All Recognition.
  

  
  
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  nowwhat?

  Thank you for posting.
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  Vidiot

  Giordano - "The Society is heading into FUBAR condition......F*%ked Up Beyond All Recognition."

  With regards to the WTS, I prefer to think of it as "Fucked Up Beyond ARmageddon".
  
  
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  careful

  It looks like something a lawyer would recommend. Now whether the GB will follow this advice is another story...
  
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  The Fall Guy

  @ Burnedout - I remember reading advice on the internet for charity trustees which strongly advised them to take out personal liability insurance, because trustees are individually and collectively liable if their charity is sued.

  In the UK, all elders are trustees of their congregation charity.