If you read the comments left at the Stratford-Herald site of the article, "Jehovah's Witness jailed for sexualy motivated attacks on girls," you will see one by a Watchtower apologist who calls himself "Slaine" who was endeavoring to take the blame off of the elders and the Watchtower for covering up this pervert's crime. I usually don't leave a comment when this type of article appears because lately there are just too many of them and I just don't want to take the time. But after reading this JW's comment, I was so disgusted, I decided to write one. It is long, probably too long and maybe boring to many, but I had a lot to say. You can go to this link and read Slaine's comment to see why I felt he needed to hear another side to the story not just jw.org's.
Here's my response to Slaine:
Slaine -
You really have fallen for Watchtower’s side of the story, haven't you? You think what jw.org tells you must be true. Do you think they would admit to a cover-up? If you believe Watchtower leaders, despite all the evidence proving a cover-up, would admit they were at fault, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!
You have no evidence to prove the complaints of a cover-up of child abuse by Watchtower are wrong. All you have are the words of jw.org. But I have evidence to prove you and jw.org wrong. And besides me, the words of JW victims prove you and jw.org wrong.
What will it take to get you and other JWs to believe that the WT has been covering up child sexual abuse for over six decades around the world? I ought to know, I learned all about it when I was in the Watchtower's Writing Department in Brooklyn, NY. Nobody was a more dedicated JW than me. I would have died for my beliefs. However, enough was enough when WT leaders would not change their policies which inadvertently protected pedophiles, who for the most part were ELDERS.
During the time I was in WT's Writing Department, I personally put together a package of material that was given to each member of the Governing Body which proved the cover-up and how victims who went forward to the elders about their molestation were being disfellowshipped and stigmatized. Why do you think that the producers of the NBC Dateline program and other TV programs through the years aired the story? Why weren't they afraid of a lawsuit by WT? Because I provided every media outlet that covered the sordid story with evidence which was carefully examined by media attorneys.
By the way, any WT official who in past years spoke to the press denying that WT had a child abuse problem was lying. It was not in that official's best interest to worry about protecting JW kids, but only to protect the Watchtower Corporation. These people wouldn't think of biting the hand that feeds them.
One WT spokesmen personally handed me a bunch of letters from victims to use in my research, yet to the press he said that JWs abhor child abuse knowing full well that they protected pedophiles through the misuse of scriptures.
You need to take your blinders off. You choose to ignore the real issue that keeps getting JW kids molested. It is about an institution that protects pedophile authority figures just like the Catholic Church did and in some cases still does. You need to see the movie "Spotlight" about the Catholic Church's cover-up of child sexual abuse and replace the name of the Catholic Church, a religious institution proven guilty of a huge cover-up of child abuse (87 pedophile priests in Boston alone), with the name Watchtower. Probably, in six decades, in Boston alone there were more accusations of child sexual abuse against JW elders and MS than the Catholics had although the JWs are a much smaller religion. Only WT files would show this to be true and they are determined that no one sees them.
I look forward to the day when the WT will be forced by the courts to release all the records about JW child abusers which they have in their files sent in by congregations that were told to do so starting in 1997 onward. By the way, some of those files contain information I personally saw, evidence proving that in the US there were an almost unbelievable number of JW kids molested. Soon in the UK, evidence will be presented to prove to a special commission that the WT cover-up of child abuse was and is still a reality. And don't forget what happened this year in Australia.
Think about this: The only policy that the WT has ever had regarding JW members who were criminally victimized by another JW was and still is to instruct them to report the crime to JW elders rather than to the authorities. You must see that this policy is the crux of the problem. If you don't, then you are to be pitied.
Barbara Anderson