Zalkin proposing huge sanctions if JW leadership fails to produce documents. UNREDACTED this time!
Feds need to get involved with this.
San Diego abuse case: stay tuned. Zalkin's motion to be considered this Friday.
by Sugar Shane 37 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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Giordano
Thanks for sharing this Sugar. I knew the Campos account but not the history of how many victims he had.....good for that 12 year old to take a baseball bat to him.
The elder's and the Society and their inability to do anything about this particular situation was madness. Depraved indifference to a repeated criminal act.
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DATA-DOG
So, what will cost the WTBTS more $$$? Refusing to turn over the documents and losing the case, or complying with Zalkin's request, if the Court agrees?
My money is on the WTBTS not complying. They are currently fighting mandatory reporting laws in Deleware. Why would they do this when Geoffrey Jackson told the Australian RC that the WTBTS would eagerly comply with any and all laws that required reporting alleged abuse?
They must have more to lose by complying with laws and turning over documents. As long as they can brainwash the R&F into believing that the WTBTS is innocent, and DF any who dare to say otherwise, there is no real reason to comply with Zalkin's request.
There are moral and ethical reasons, but the WTBTS is hardly concerned with morality and ethical behavior.
DD
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dubstepped
What a vile, disgusting organization. I guess this article is also "apostate driven lies", eh Steven Lett. Disgusting caricatures of human beings, the whole lot at HQ. -
truthseekeriam
Watchtower loves to play games don't they? Refuse to turn over the list until terminating sanctions are issued against them, then all of a sudden they'll turn them over... but black out all the information! I truly hope the judge sees through the crap and starts holding them to same standards they would any other defendant!
If anything at all can show just how heartless this religion is, it's this. They drag the survivors of abuse through depositions, delays, appeals upon appeals knowing they cant truly put the nightmare behind them with it dragging on and on. I sure hope the survivors are doing okay through all this.
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OneEyedJoe
DD - you make a good point. There's a big cost for them that's hard to quantify - the damage done to their membership/donations if they do publish their enormous list of pedophiles. Up until now, I was thinking that their choice was between 1) causing a few enormous summary judgments (which will continue once lawyers realize all they have to do is subpoena their records and win) and 2) the possibility that publishing the documents increases the volume of abuse lawsuits when people see the size of the problem and are able to clearly see that the WT knew about their abuser before their abuse.
The drying up of funds should this story become widespread is almost certainly bigger than the other costs that they're accounting for. Especially since they are probably somewhat insured against the court costs but cannot be insured against evaporating membership/donations.
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Vidiot
Darkknight757 - "...Up until now, I was thinking that their choice was between 1) causing a few enormous summary judgments (which will continue once lawyers realize all they have to do is subpoena their records and win)..."
Practically a fool-proof precedent to beat them, the way I see it.
Darkknight757 - "...and 2) the possibility that publishing the documents increases the volume of abuse lawsuits when people see the size of the problem..."
THIS.
The exposure of the problem's sheer size is what they're trying to avoid, no matter the cost, and I agree... for now, they're willing to accept whatever losses will come their way no matter what....
...because if the scope of the problem were to be fully exposed - and, more importantly, believed by the general Witness rank-and-file (and they'd have to, because the documents are the WT's own official records) - there are even more serious reasons than the one you've listed...
...that - combined - actually create a significant threat to the Org's very survival, IMO.
For example...
a) ...because the WTS's application of "Biblical" standards is failing to solve the problem, (and, in fact, is arguably making it worse), the Bible itself is potentially undermined, and as the Org claims to derive its authority from the Bible, said authority cannot help but therefore be undermined...
b) ...if JW parents truly grasp the fact that they run the risk of exposing their kids to pedophiles no matter what congregation they go to, enough of them will simply throw their hands up, and say "f**k it, we're not taking them at all any more", staying home with them, and thus depriving the Org of attendance, vital donation revenue, and a significant percentage of the next generation of members...
c) ...it reveals that for decades, the WTS has repeatedly covered up the commission of egregious criminal activity, putting the very public lie to the WTS's long-standing and quite vocal claims of exemplary law-abiding honesty, and...
d) ...it severely undermines the WTS's claim to fame as "God's Earthly Organization", because that kind of shit shouldn't happen in "God's Earthly Organization" (especially to such a widespread and institutionalized degree)...
...and, let's face it, being a JW isn't the most pleasant experience, so if it's not "God's Earthly Organization", what incentive is there to stay?
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Vidiot
Bottom line... refusing to turn over the required information can and will have very bad results for the Org...
...but from their perspective, handing it over would be far worse.
x
The former at least gives the Org a better chance at survival (for now, anyway).
The latter? Not so much.
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Vidiot
Something just occurred to me...
...with all the leaks that the Org has been experiencing lately, I can't help but wonder if the pedo database will eventually end up in the Law's hands, anyway.
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Diogenesister
Thruthseekeriam I couldn't agree more. Disgusting...fighting mandatory reporting??!!! They are putting these kids and their families through HELL with their stupid games and delaying tactics.... I hope the judge sees through their shit and clobbers them with the full force of the law...and WE ARE RIGHT BEHIND THEM..the righteously outraged APOSTATE ARMY!!