by sp74bb 23 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
The victim might be asked to sign a statement according he/she is aware of the possibility to report to the authorities
This might actually deter some victims from reporting to police ( apart from Org shaming), because:
In the ensuing criminal processes, victims have been put through H-- by the defense lawyers, better to a keep quiet for many reasons, one more wt tactic to intimidate victims that's all.
I do not feel that this changes anything at all. The public position is fairly clear: If the victim wants to report, she/he can report. The problem however is that in most cases, the victim is from the same family and does not report. Neither do other members of that family.
The elders, than sit back and let that pedophile continue the abuse (disfellowshipping won't stop the abuser). Eventually, that abuser will move on to other victims as well.
What I cannot understand is that the watchtower do not provide any bible based reasoning on why they do not want to report it to the authorities. The question is completely avoided in their thousands of pages of literature. Sincere JWs should ask themselves: Why?
Pure and utter ass-covering of the nth degree dreamed up by the scum-bucket lawyers propping up the Watchtower Cult Society in its panicked attempts to legally absolve the elders from their glaring and patently obvious moral responsibility to report sexual crimes against children.
They are scraping the bottom of the barrel legally in their desperate attempts to cover themselves legally going forward while the uber arrogant and morally blind Governing Body insist at all costs on clinging to their unbelievably erroneous and sick two witness rule as applied to child abuse applications.
"The victims be damned; we are the Watchtower Society and we are Gods mouthpiece. We will not change our policy!"
It's not the just the victim's responsibility to report. It's the responsibility of the elders.
Let's hope ARC, UK Charities Commission etc push for that and then this directive won't cover anyone's ass.
"Jimmy, now that you understand you can report this to the police if you want, take a moment to consider the reproach that would bring on Jehovah's name."
fukitol: "Pure and utter ass-covering of the nth degree dreamed up by the scum-bucket lawyers propping up the Watchtower Cult Society in its panicked attempts to legally absolve the elders from their glaring and patently obvious moral responsibility to report sexual crimes against children."
I could not have put it better myself.
Keinlezard It look like bulgaria and blood policies .. jw are not "disfellowed" by Organisation, but if they accept blood they disfellow themself from Organisation.
Keinlezard You hit the nail on the head. Its exactly a case of appearing to comply with the letter of EU law whilst totally ignoring the spirit of the law.
Talk about Pharisee's.
Jimmy, now that you understand you can report this to the police if you want, take a moment to consider the reproach that would bring on Jehovah's name."
Zoos you got it.
I am not sure where the implication that this means that anyone reporting an allegation would essentially be disassociating themselves comes from.
I understand the legalistic approach with blood transfusions that has been taken and I also know that historically pressure of judicial action has been actively and implicitly placed on individuals to keep stumm to protect the congregation and/or not repeat an allegation where only one witness is prepared to testify but the WTS has made it clear several times now that they consider it the absolute right of the victim to report an allegation to the authorities without sanction.
I am no apologist for the WTS on this and can see holes galore in their process and endemic cultural resistance to change on the matter but am not clear where the association between this current "cover your ass" move and disassociation comes.
