Dec 29, 2016A years-long investigation into allegations of child sex abuse in the Jehovah's Witness organization has also uncovered a culture of secrecy at its Watchtower headquarters in Brooklyn.Last summer, Donald Trump's son-in-law, developer Jared Kushner, bought the property. The Jehovah's Witnesses, meanwhile, have been building a massive compound upstate in Warwick, New York, where they plan to relocate.
Trey Bundy, a reporter for Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting, has been investigating the Watchtower for two years. Watchtower leaders refused to talk to him, but he was able to talk to a former insider about it.
"It's the nerve-center of a multi-billion dollar corporation that has interests in publishing, in real-estate....it's the head of a religion with eight million members, but it's this very secretive place," he said.
Bundy says the Jehovah's Witnesses also have a database that potentially contains the names of thousands of child sex abusers.
In this interview, WNYC's Richard Hake talks with Bundy about his investigation, the Jehovah's Witnesses' vast network in Brooklyn, and why federal authorities haven't stepped in.
www.wnyc.org/story/watchtower-jehovahs-witness-headquarters-brooklyn/
Trey Bundy interview - Questions Surround Jehovah's Witness HQ and Allegations of Sex Abuse
by defender of truth 7 Replies latest watchtower scandals
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defender of truth
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defender of truth
Had somebody already posted this?
Strange that nobody's posted..
Anyway, here is his previous interview as well.
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cha ching
I am grateful to Trey & his investigative work, and to all here who keep him in 'the news.' (thx, defender of truth!)
I know that we here may have heard this info before, but many haven't. I was on FaceBook, and a friend (ex-JW) I.M.d me, very excited, she had just seen the Canadian News show @ child abuse. After all these years, she had never been exposed to the extent of the child abuse in the org, and had never even heard of Trey Bundy & Reveal News!!
Think of how many people join this forum each day!
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defender of truth
Valerie from Brooklyn from Brooklyn, NY
Nothing stops a victim from reporting any offense to public authorities. This is not the problem of any organization but of the human condition. If victims would report, future victimization could be prevented.
Dec 29, 2016, 12:22 PM
Zart
THE WHOLE ISSUES REVOLVES AROUND CONFIDENTIALLY. Heres a stripped down version on confidentiality and the issues of this situation.
California law and ethics for counselors (i.e. therapist, practitioners, doctors, etc) and how they handle confidentiality of client information, which sort of related to the same standards of clergy, explain that if a client comes to you with infomation saying the are presently hurting a child; then they are mandated to report to CPS. But, if they (the client) reveals that they have hurt someone (i.e. sexually abused, murdered, etc.) then it must not be reported "IF" it was in the past AND there is no ID to the victim nor can the counselor ID a potenial or future victim. That information is confidential and cannot be revealed to authority (i.e. police, cps, etc)
Same rules (in a way) apply to clergy. With the JWs, the priests of the congregation most likely ( i would hope) encourage the family or victim to report to authority, but if the family wants to resolve within the religion, then thats there right. BTW the parents who dont report should be held liable as well as the perpetrator...thats my own opinion. Whatever info is told to the priest must be made confidential.
You people need to brush up on your knowledge of law and the rules of confidentiality and stop trolling. AND Dont be fooled by a journalist writing a very controversial article. Remember folks, the more dramtic the story the more likely you'll read it and view the ads.
Dec 29, 2016, 5:20 PM
Here are two comments on the page that defend the organization (there are some comments that do not, and even a member of SNAP, but these are the ones that we might want to reply to).
www.wnyc.org/story/watchtower-jehovahs-witness-headquarters-brooklyn/
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Vidiot
Valerie from Brooklyn, NY - "...Nothing stops a victim from reporting any offense to public authorities..."
Wrong.
Fear of being ostracized for whistleblowing often stops a victim from reporting an offense to public authorities.
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cha ching
Absolutely Vid!
Will people call you a liar? yes...
Embarrass you? yes....
Shun you or DF you if you talk about it or "go ahead of the organization"
Absolutely!
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Vidiot
cha ching - "Absolutely Vid! Will people call you a liar? yes... Embarrass you? yes... Shun you or DF you if you talk about it or 'go ahead of the organization'... Absolutely!"
Actually, its even simpler than that.
At the Aussie RC, WT reps conceded that whistleblowing - like accepting a transfusion or celebrating holidays - was regarded as a dissassociating act.
Threaten to report alleged abuse to the police, and you could be "
counseled" counter-threatened with automatic expulsion from the Org ("by your own actions") without even a JC to plead your case (not that it would really do you any good).