Day 5 - Fessler vs. Watchtower – Ends: Plaintiff settles in Jehovah’s Witness Child Abuse Trial

by darkspilver 90 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • Cadellin
    Cadellin

    "The matter with the Jehovah's Witnesses has been resolved," her attorney, Jeffrey Fritz, said Monday.

    And that was all he could say due to the confidential settlement agreement, which bars all parties from talking about the case or disclosing the amount of the settlement.

    And that's why they (JWs) settled. Confidentiality, limit the damages, silence the parties involved. Separately, let me add that the plaintiff had every right to settle and find the best way to deal with what she's been through.

  • cobweb
    cobweb

    Obviously we can't know the details. It'd be nice to know is she was pleased though - whether it went well or badly from her standpoint.

  • Richard Oliver
    Richard Oliver

    Let me say that it does appear that the Elders did violate the law by not reporting this when it happened, but I see it in a different way than people on here. I feel that this should have been a state action and not a civil action. The congregation and Watchtower should be fined as prescribed by the law.

    What the complaint set out in this case was pretty ridiculous in my opinion. In the complaint it talks about how Watchtower should prevent all interaction between any adult and child. Should monitor all activities of congregation members and so forth.

  • rebelfighter
    rebelfighter

    RO,

    I was never a JW and ended up on this forum when I got dumped by the "Elder " after 5 yrs for asking the wrong question cause he never told me about his beliefs.

    I do not at all get your last statement when everything I hear about is field service and Bible Study to prepare for Baptism. How is this pretty ridiculous, based on experiences from this forum and other sites that is not to ridiculous. Please explain this statement you made:

    What the complaint set out in this case was pretty ridiculous in my opinion. In the complaint it talks about how Watchtower should prevent all interaction between any adult and child. Should monitor all activities of congregation members and so forth.
  • Richard Oliver
    Richard Oliver

    There was no claim that any sexual abuse occurred at any point during actual Watchtower or Congregation activities. The abuse took place at the abusers home and at the home of the girl or in a car. No activities took place on a bible study or out in service or at a kingdom hall. There is nothing in the complaint that anyone encouraged the victim to spend alone time with the abuser. And in the complaint there are statements such as

    "failing to limit one-on-one interactions between adults and minors."

    How can a religion or anyone other than parents limit the interactions that their children have. And how can anyone force another adult to limit their interactions with others. I know I know, people here will say, Watchtower does it all the time when they tell people not to communicate with DF'd people. But in reality if people want to communicate with someone else there is very little that Watchtower can do about it, both legally and practically. If someone wants to associate with someone else no organization can stop them. There are laws that can stop people from associating or coming within a certain distance of a person or class of person but a religion doesn't have that ability.

    "failing to ban or restrict overnight activities between congregants and minors"

    Here again, I am not blaming the parents, but how can Watchtower or anyone know what another person is doing at night in their private home. It is up to parents to know where their children are especially at night. No one can monitor people 24 hours a day and know who they are with and what they are doing at all the times.

  • kpop
    kpop

    People think how fast this went to trial - the JW cult might be dangerous but they are not dumb. They know settling out of court to pay a LARGE sum of money is better than the damage done to their image of this case went on for months or years!

    Another loss for the JW cult!

    I would assume this case was worth $4,000,000

  • Richard Oliver
    Richard Oliver

    This was in no way a quick case. The complaint was filed in 2013. Watchtower probably did offer a monetary settlement right away to get it off their books and not have to deal with legal costs. There was an appeal in that took up a lot of time for a change in venue. Even though Watchtower has in-house attorney's there is still a cost associated with it. It also takes away from resources that they want to use those attorneys for other matters. It is a cost-benefit analysis, that make defendants offer a monetary settlement to get it off their books.

  • rebelfighter
    rebelfighter

    Settlement also keeps it out if the nedia!!

    RO,

    The Elders of two congregations knew of these activities from the time she was 14 years old. Someone transported this underage child (14 she was privately reproved and 15 publicly reproved for her part in this child sexual abuse) across state lines. I find this entire thing disgusting that the Elders would find the victim the sinner!! The parents, Elders, and any one who answered a phone call at the branch from the WT should all be fined and jailed. But this is a civil case so I hope she got several million.

    Anyone who try to defends the actions of anyone of these people are just as sick as the perverts.

  • rebelfighter
    rebelfighter

    The Elders were made aware of it. In the organization I am associated with it makes no difference where it occurs we pickup the phone and call authorities if we suspect any form of child abuse. It could have occurred anywhere.

  • mrquik
    mrquik

    For those of you not familiar with the litigious nature of American society, this settlement is like blood in the water for the sharks we call lawyers. Especially seeing the large number of victims & the WTBTS eagerness to settle out of courts, law firms here will go into a feeding frenzy. Keep in mind law firms garner approximately a third or more of the settlement. This is going to hurt the WTBTS where it's hurts them most; in the pocketbook. That's what counts. They don't give a crap about the flock; it's money they run on. So keep those lawsuits coming.

    (Typical US lawyer jokes: " What do we call a thousand lawyers chained to the bottom of the sea? A good start. Why don't sharks eat lawyers? Professional courtesy. Why don't lawyers lay on the beach? Cats keep covering them up with sand.)

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