Just wanted to add my comments.
What is the policy of JW to child abuse?
[1] Protect the person from further abuse.
[2] Counsel person/family on how to report the crime to the proper authorities.
Question: How do you protect the person/child? Take them away from the environment/home/family? On whose authority?
If the CRIME is reported to the police then social services may take the child away from the environment until the investigation is over and proof is found or acquittal because of no proof.
How do the authorities establish proof? Victim statement, confession, DNA testing, other eyewitness account?
Elders in the congregations can only deal with sin not crime. But by way of example:
"My friend comes to me and tells me that she has been guilty of adultery. What do I do? I tell her to go to the elders and confess her sin to them. Why? So that she can get the help and support she needs to repent and make changes. I also tell her that if she has not reported this within say 2 or 3 days then I will have to go to the elders myself as I do not want to be a 'sharer' in her sin."
The same should be true of any allegation of child abuse. If the person will not report it, or the family, I should be responsible for reporting this to the police. Why? Because a crime has allegedly been committed. Does that make sense?
However we must also remember 'no human organisation is perfect'. That includes the police and justice system. Just look at the miscarriages of justice that have occured in Britain over the past few years. Does that mean that we lose our faith in the justice system? No! Because on the whole it does its best for society. Mistakes are made, people get hurt, that is very sad.
Would you question the motives of the judges and juries that sit in judgement on alleged crimminals?
Why then do you question the motives of JW's in general? Surely they are sincere in their caring for society. Some do make mistakes in their handling of child abuse cases. That is to be regretted but these ones are removed from their positions of responsibility as were those in Birmingham, UK [see Panorama transcript]. Are you suggesting that over 6 million JW's are in favour of child abuse and want to cover the crime over?
I think that the bias of people who have once been JW's and may have been disfellowshipped shines through in this discussion. But remember that JW's do not hate people who have been disfellowshipped only the action they have taken and the lack of repentence towards Jehovah and his standards.