The SUNDAY tv program that is broadcast nationwide in Australia on the nine network is featuring a story this coming Sunday 29th May on "Turning a Blind Eye on Paedophilia".
Three years ago the SUNDAY program exposed the child sexual abuse in the Jehovah's Witnesses. Graham Davis the reporter for that story won a New York Festivals medal in 2004 for that investigation. At the time church leaders played down the story and told the flock that the information was not true and telling the flock that the people appearing in the show were apostates. Anyway insiders from the Australian Bethel reported that they were inundated with calls from all around Australia after the show went to air. The Sunday show itself received the highest public response in its history. Many saying that what happened to Natalie and Simon happened to them.
Yet the message from Bethel is we do not have a problem. One sister who has had her son and daughter sexually abused by two different brothers was shocked to hear recently at an assembly program a brother making the statement from the platform that JW's do not have paedophiles in their ranks.
How big is this problem? How many Aussie Jw's are not prepared to remain silent? Are the elders doing what is morally right? We will find out.
gerry