by Kenneson 4 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
See "Napa County judge may hear church molestation suits. Six counties to combine suits against Jehovah's Witnesses."
Of course, the attorney for the JWs is opposed. He wants each case to be considered individually.
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040915/NEWS/409150327/1033/NEWS01
I saw that article yesterday. I know is that the judge who they are assigned to is a really good judge -- I hope the JW attorney is not successful. It will be interesting to see how things play out.
Purza
I saw that article yesterday. I know is that the judge who they are assigned to is a really good judge -- I hope the JW attorney is not successful. It will be interesting to see how things play out.
Purza
Whoops -- sorry for the second post -- I hit the submit button twice.
References cont. (78) -- Clergy Child Molesters
... Larry Kelley and several Jehovah's Witnesses organizations last ... abuse victims target
Jehovah's Witness in ... 80s, Villegas] CALIFORNIA: Napa Valley Register, www ...
www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont78.htm - 101k - Cached - Similar pages
• Sex abuse victims target Jehovah's Witness in civil suit [1970s-80s, Villegas]
CALIFORNIA: Napa Valley Register, www.napanews.com/templates/index.cfm?template=story_full&id=418D0B2C-444E-45D5-A47F-41C07DA4F610 , By DAVID RYAN, Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Napa child molester Edward Bedoya Villegas died in prison nearly 10 years ago, but the legal aftermath of his actions is still being hashed out in Napa Superior Court.
Two of his victims are suing two Napa Jehovah's Witness Congregations and other Jehovah's Witness groups, saying high-ranking elders and church policymakers were negligent in supervising Villegas and concealed records for more than 20 years.
The church, including its Brooklyn-based national headquarters, is fighting back.
In 1994, Villegas was convicted of molesting several local children at a Napa Jehovah's Witness congregation during the 1970s and 80s. During much of that time Villegas and his wife Marsha operated a Jehovah's Witness day care center.
His alleged victims include Clarissa Welch, now 35, and two women who are not fully identified in court papers: Nicole D., now 32, and Tabitha H., now 30. All three claim Villegas, who was an elder in the congregation, forced them to perform oral sex on him. Welch and Tabitha H. said Villegas penetrated them with his fingers, while Tabitha H. said she was raped by Villegas as well. [. . . ]
Love and Norris attorney Kim Norris said she had spoken to more than 2,000 alleged victims of sexual abuse at the hand of Jehovah's Witness members. She said many congregations can be insular, with little incentive for members to go outside the church to seek help for abuse. Even still, she said, with small meetings like the one in Santa Rosa, word about her law firm gets around.
"A lot of them call me on pay phones down the street (from where they live) whispering because their whole support structure is inside the congregation," she said.
Four years ago, a Kentucky Jehovah's Witness elder named Bill Bowen resigned from the Jehovah's Witness Church for asking questions about a fellow elder who was accused of sexual molestation. He started a support group for Jehovah's Witness abuse victims called Silent Lambs.
"As an elder, I am instructed ... if it is one person's word against another and not two witnesses to the wrong, no action would be taken and no authorities would be notified," he wrote in a Dec. 2000 letter he posted onto the Silent Lambs Web site. "The victim? Cautioned to keep silent or face discipline within the congregation that could go as far as being disfellowshipped for slander."
Disfellowshipping is what witnesses call being cast out from the church. Unlike the Catholic tradition of being excommunicated, Jehovah's Witnesses are no longer allowed to speak to a disfellowshipped member unless it's an emergency.
In June, a Napa judge will decide whether the Watchtower and Bible Tract Society of Pennsylvania, the Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, and Jehovah's Witness's legal arm, Kingdom Support Services, should be removed from one of the local lawsuits entirely, and perhaps have their legal costs paid by their accusers.
That would still leave more than 20 defendants in the case. #
Religion News Blog : Sex abuse victims target Jehovah's Witness in ...
... Napa Valley Register (USA), Apr. ... Moreno released a statement about the two Napa cases ...
serve in any position of authority with Jehovah's Witnesses until February ...
www.religionnewsblog.com/6762-Sex_abuse_ victims_target_Jehovah_s_Witness_in_civil_suit.html - 40k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
Contact
... and its congregations in Yolo, Napa and Tehama ... Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Observer -
Jehovah's Witnesses or Practicing ... high above the Silicon Valley and in ...
www.quiplash.blogspot.com/ 2003_07_01_quiplash_archive.html - 101k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
