why won't legal department simply release all the secret pedophile files?

by poopie 94 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Fisherman

  Firstly, JW parents are taught by the WT that the "brotherhood" is to be trusted over and above anyone else.

  Not with their kids. Imagine that! Who in their right mind would trust their 10 year old girl or 8 year old boy with a grown man? --and then blame the watchtower using your excuse. Also, except for obedience to FDS in meeting attendance and FS, I never heard that JW should go around trusting their kids with other members.

  - "look out for the children of single parents or the child who has an unbelieving parent", encouraging 'brothers' to spend time with children from these "disadvantaged" families.

  Never heard that. And any special attention always involve parental supervision. I am not saying though that elders have no obligation to protect and watch but such obligation is religious not stauatory. Ultimately, the parents should protect their kids and when parents fail to do that, the kids suffer; and then the kids sue watchtower.
  
  
• 

  Giordano

  Being accepted by the congregation is paradise for a child sexual abuser. In the JW world an abuser simply needs to not get caught in the act by TWO witnesses. It doesn't matter what the child says or the parent(s) say........just deny the crime and simply move on if things get a tad uncomfortable. Hell you might even get a letter of recommendation to the next congregation.

  So the Society is locked into the two witness rule......even Jesus encouraged it's use to settle matters fairly.

  When it came to children Jesus also admonished his close followers 'not to hinder the children from coming to him'. Which is the more powerful statement? Which does the most harm?

  The Society wants to pretend that they are a religion and should have protection........ the privacy of the confessional. In reality the Society is a corporation....... it always was and will continue to be and there is no mandate for privacy. You don't get to confess to one Elder you get a judical with three Elders whose wives are waiting anxiously to hear the details.

  What if GE, Apple, any corporation, had a policy of doing nothing if their executives and run of the mill employees were sexually abusing their own or other employees children?
• 

  Fisherman

  That aside, how do you suggest family incest should be handled? Who is responsible there? And, according to the WT itself, most of the sex abuse inside the JWs occurs within the family cirCle.

  Very sad for the kids. Government is very aware of this problem in society and does nothing significant about it, and should it, the number of kids is so many that gov is not equipped to somehow help the kids. The church should comply with the statute and it would be very easy to do if the church did not have to call a lawyer to figure out what is required in the specific place where the church is located.
  
  
• 

  tor1500

  Hi,

  Why? Because they have SOMETHING TO HIDE...they have been pointing fingers at other religions for years...it's their pride and they know they would lose folks....

  The org. is where I learned if you point one finger at someone, 3 fingers are pointing back at you...

  Remember this is God's organization, & he wouldn't have pehophile's in the org. & if he does then, in time he will weed them out but only Jehovah can weed them out, not authorities...Plus it's all about the $$$$...

  The org. has been hiding this for a while now...

  Somehow, I feel the org. is Teflon...everything and everybody is being exposed, just look at the news...nothing is a secret anymore, all that was done in the dark is coming to light....seems there is a lot of sexual abuse going on...

  Tor
  
• 

  Incognito

  Who in their right mind would trust their 10 year old girl or 8 year old boy with a grown man? --and then blame the watchtower using your excuse. - Fish
  

  WT is not necessarily to blame for the abuse occurring. It's what they do once the abuse is reported to Elders which is the problem. In many locations, even allegations of abuse are to be reported to authorities.

  The other issue with WT is not warning other congregants, especially those with children, when a member has a history of abusing children.

  WT claims the member with a history will be watched and not permitted to preach D2D on their own. No one can be watched at all times and there is nothing to prevent any person from going D2D on their own. Even if accompanied, the other person may not necessarily be aware of the offender's background.

  In regards Australia, I understand it was 1006 offenders. As some offenders abused multiple victims, I think the total number of victims was closer to 1700.
• 

  John Davis

  The question is what right does the public have to these names? They don't have any right. They supplied the information to the goverment of Australia because they have a right. But the general public does not have a right to names.
• 

  Incognito

  The question is what right does the public have to these names?
  

  Define public. Would 'public' include a Court of Law?
• 

  John Davis

  We will see after Watchtower exhausted the appeals if they will turn it over or not. It is condemning them before the case has re-entered the superior court. The case won't re-enter the superior court for 30 days from the time the appeals court decision was issued.

  And no a court of law is not the general public. But people on here want it to be released to the general public and some have even condoned the threat that the group anonymous made to break the law and steal the list and release it not to a court of law or law enforcement but to the general public.
• 

  OrphanCrow

  John: But people on here want it to be released to the general public...

  I don't think that the "list" should be released indiscriminately to the general public. Not at all.

  It could be that some people have that impression due to their knee jerk defense mechanisms kicking in.

  I think the list should be turned over to an independent investigative body to be evaluated for possible criminal proceedings against known pedophiles in the database.

  Australia only had 1000+ cases to examine. Just imagine the task ahead of an investigating team to look at the US cases. That would require a formidable team.
• 

  Fisherman

  It's what they do once the abuse is reported which is the problem. In many locations, even allegations of abuse are to be reported to authorities.

  Conflicting laws don't make it any easier. And if anyone actually cared about children, they could lobby the government and at least attempt to get laws changed.