Excellent comments!
Steve2 and PE, you mentioned that in your cases, the Elders have spread (or allowed to be spread) negative insinuations about your character?
I know that the same has occurred for us. One still in shared that the Elders had said quietly to individual witnesses things like "Oh, we cant really share much with you, but its best that you don't have anything to do with bro stuckinarut2...or let your children see him and his wife. We have things under control. - just leave it to us as elders"
I mean WTF? What sort of insinuations and innuendo does this imply??
Character assassination is the only real tool that the society or elders can attempt to use!