Edward Sawden, 69, was given a wholly suspended two-year prison sentence at the Southport District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to eight counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

Sawden, a surfboard shaper and photographer, who has work on display at the National Potrait Gallery, pleaded guilty to abusing the girl on several occasions between 1977 and 1979.

The ex-competitive surfer admitted to touching and digitally penetrating the girl at several locations including while swimming and in his bed.

She was eight years old when the abuse began, the court heard.

After the girl's mother discovered his abuse, Sawden first confessed to his local church and also admitted he had committed the offences to the Department of Child Services sometime between 1981 and 1982, the court was told.

11

The West Australian: Jehovah Witness charged with historic child sex offences

by AndersonsInfo in

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/jehovah-witness-charged-with-historic-child-sex-offences-ng-b88453246z.

jehovah witness charged with historic child sex offences.

friday, 21 april 2017 3:11am.

AndersonsInfo

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/jehovah-witness-charged-with-historic-child-sex-offences-ng-b88453246z

Jehovah Witness charged with historic child sex offences

Friday, 21 April 2017 3:11AM

A member of the Jehovah Witness congregation will appear in court next month after he was charged with historic child sex offences.

Child Abuse squad detectives charged the 72-year-old over alleged offences against a girl between 1979 and 1982.

It will be alleged the man sexually assaulted the girl, who was 11 at the time of the first offence, in the towns of Narrogin, Windy Harbour and Katanning.

“During this time, the man was an active member of the Katanning Jehovah Witness congregation,” a police spokesperson said.

The man has been charged with a string of child sex offences including indecent dealing, unlawful carnal knowledge of girls under 16 and deprivation of liberty.

The man was charged on Thursday after ongoing investigations from the Royal Commission into institutional child sex offences.

The 72-year-old will appear in the Katanning Magistrates Court on May 16.

If you are or have been a victim of child sexual abuse, or if you have information about someone being abused, call police on 131 444.

1

President of the Republic of Poland signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children

by AndersonsInfo in

http://www.president.pl/en/news/art,397,president-signs-bill-to-raise-penalties-for-crimes-against-children.html.

tuesday, 11 april 2017 president signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children.

president signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children (1 / 9).

AndersonsInfo

http://www.president.pl/en/news/art,397,president-signs-bill-to-raise-penalties-for-crimes-against-children.html

Tuesday, 11 April 2017

President signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children

President signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children (1 / 9)

President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday signed into law an amendment to the Penal Code aggravating penalties for criminal acts against the life, health and freedom of children.

In question are such acts as aggravated battery, kidnapping, abandonment or child trafficking.
President Duda said that the signed law aims at greater legal and penal protection of minors, especially minors below 15 years of age and helpless persons. He added the law also aims to protect the weakest, those most prone to being harmed and who have difficulties with finding support. I deeply believe that the amendment of the penal law will improve the existing legal protection of all persons below 15 years of age, stressed the president.

The president noted that the law was an effect of cooperation of the government commissioner for children’s rights protection and the commissioner for patients' rights. Apart from raising penalties for criminal acts against the life, health and freedom of children, the law also penalises the failure to inform authorities about such crimes. (PAP)

7

Santa Ana, California: Jehovah's Witness Accused Of Child Molestation Claims 'False Allegations'

by AndersonsInfo in

https://patch.com/california/fountainvalley/jehovahs-witness-accused-child-molestation-claims-false-allegations.

jehovah's witness accused of child molestation claims 'false allegations' .

he is charged with 9 felony counts of lewd/lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14 and 1 count felony kidnapping for child molesting.

AndersonsInfo

https://patch.com/california/fountainvalley/jehovahs-witness-accused-child-molestation-claims-false-allegations

Jehovah's Witness Accused Of Child Molestation Claims 'False Allegations'

He is charged with 9 felony counts of lewd/lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14 and 1 count felony kidnapping for child molesting.

By CA Patch (Patch Staff) - April 6, 2017 6:10 pm ET

SANTA ANA, CA - A Santa Ana man molested four girls aged 8 to 12 that he met through his Jehovah's Witness congregation, a prosecutor alleged Thursday, but the defendant's attorney told jurors that her client was a victim of "false accusations."

Some of the allegations date back to January 2012, continuing through July 2015 when he was initially confronted by police.

Jose Luis Aguilera, 42, is charged with nine counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a minor younger than 14 and one count of kidnapping for child molesting, all felonies.

Russia Supreme Court considers ban on Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/06/russia-supreme-court-upholds-ban-on-jehovah-witnesses.html.

published april 06, 2017 .

associated pressmoscow – state news agency ria novosti says russia's supreme court has upheld the decision of the city court in birobidzhan to ban the jehovah's witnesses, a decision that comes amid proceedings on a justice ministry suit to ban the religious organization in russia altogether.. jehovah's witnesses claim more than 170,000 adherents in russia.

AndersonsInfo

The following report is about another case involving JWs in Russia:

http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2269

KAZAKHSTAN: Lawyers now face trial for defending client

April 3, 2017

By Felix Corley, Forum 18

The two lawyers for a Jehovah's Witness now on trial in Astana are themselves under criminal investigation. The KNB secret police investigator accuses them of "revealing information from a pre-trial investigation" by appealing to President Nazarbayev for the case against their client to be halted.

Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) secret police has opened a criminal case against two lawyers defending a Jehovah's Witness on trial for exercising freedom of religion and belief. Vitaly Kuznetsov and Natalya Kononenko are facing criminal investigation seeking to punish them for appealing to Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev for the charges against their client to be dropped. Charges were brought against the lawyers even before the trial they were working on began in the capital Astana.

The KNB secret police accuses Kuznetsov and Kononenko of "revealing information from a pre-trial investigation" under Criminal Code Article 423. Kuznetsov described the accusation to Forum 18 as "absurd". An Astana-based legal specialist told Forum 18 the accusation was "bizarre" (see below).

Astana Prosecutor's Office handed the case to Asilzhan Gabdykaparov of the General Prosecutor's Office, it told Forum 18 on 3 April. His telephone went unanswered the same day.

KNB Major Medet Duskaziyev – who initiated the criminal cases against Jehovah's Witnesses Teymur Akhmedov and Asaf Guliyev, as well as the two lawyers Kuznetsov and Kononenko – refused to answer any of Forum 18's questions on 30 March.

4

Russia Supreme Court considers ban on Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/06/russia-supreme-court-upholds-ban-on-jehovah-witnesses.html.

published april 06, 2017 .

associated pressmoscow – state news agency ria novosti says russia's supreme court has upheld the decision of the city court in birobidzhan to ban the jehovah's witnesses, a decision that comes amid proceedings on a justice ministry suit to ban the religious organization in russia altogether.. jehovah's witnesses claim more than 170,000 adherents in russia.

AndersonsInfo

"State news agency RIA Novosti says Russia's Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the city court in Birobidzhan to ban the Jehovah's Witnesses, a decision that comes amid proceedings on a Justice Ministry suit to ban the religious organization in Russia altogether."

Where is Birobidzhan?

Birobidzhan is a city found in Jewish Autonomous Oblast, Russia. It is located 48.79 latitude and 132.92 longitude and it is situated at elevation 86 meters above sea level.

Birobidzhan has a population of 76,146 making it the biggest city in Jewish Autonomous Oblast. It operates on the LMT time zone.

Jewish Autonomous Oblast is a autonomous region found in the nation of Russia. Home to 190,915 people, it is the 80th largest division in Russia in terms of population.

Jewish Autonomous Oblast gained its current status as a autonomous region in the year 1934. The government of Jewish Autonomous Oblast is lead by Aleksandr Levinthaland is based in the autonomous region capital of Birobidzhan (Population: 76,146).

4

Russia Supreme Court considers ban on Jehovah's Witnesses

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/06/russia-supreme-court-upholds-ban-on-jehovah-witnesses.html.

published april 06, 2017 .

associated pressmoscow – state news agency ria novosti says russia's supreme court has upheld the decision of the city court in birobidzhan to ban the jehovah's witnesses, a decision that comes amid proceedings on a justice ministry suit to ban the religious organization in russia altogether.. jehovah's witnesses claim more than 170,000 adherents in russia.

AndersonsInfo

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/06/russia-supreme-court-upholds-ban-on-jehovah-witnesses.html

Published April 06, 2017

Associated Press

MOSCOW – State news agency RIA Novosti says Russia's Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the city court in Birobidzhan to ban the Jehovah's Witnesses, a decision that comes amid proceedings on a Justice Ministry suit to ban the religious organization in Russia altogether.

Jehovah's Witnesses claim more than 170,000 adherents in Russia. The group, however, has come under increasing pressure over the past year, including a ban on distributing literature deemed to violate Russia's anti-extremism laws.

Russian investigators inspected the religion's headquarters in St. Petersburg in February.

David Semonian, a spokesman at its world headquarters in New York, said regarding the proposed national ban that the Jehovah's Witnesses hope "Russia's Supreme Court will uphold the rights of our fellow believers in Russia to freely carry out their peaceful worship."

7

TIME Magazine: Russian Supreme Court Considers Outlawing Jehovah's Witness Worship

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

http://time.com/4723456/jehovahs-witness-russia-supreme-court/.

russian supreme court considers outlawing jehovah's witness worship.

the russian supreme court could declare the jehovah's witnesses an extremist organization in a wednesday hearing, a move that would lead to the seizure of the church's headquarters near st. petersburg and the outlawing of the group’s organized worship.. in advance of the hearing, international concern has grown.

AndersonsInfo

http://time.com/4723456/jehovahs-witness-russia-supreme-court/

Russian Supreme Court Considers Outlawing Jehovah's Witness Worship

The Russian Supreme Court could declare the Jehovah's Witnesses an extremist organization in a Wednesday hearing, a move that would lead to the seizure of the church's headquarters near St. Petersburg and the outlawing of the group’s organized worship.

In advance of the hearing, international concern has grown. “If the Supreme Court rules in favour of the authorities, it will be the first such ruling by a court declaring a registered centralized religious organization to be ‘extremist,’” the UN human rights’ high commissioner's office said in a statement on Tuesday.

The ruling would also cap off years of increased restrictions by the Russian Federation against minority religions. Last summer, Russia introduced an anti-terrorism law that also restricted evangelism, and a regional court ordered the deportation of six missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2015, a court banned the Church of Scientology’s Moscow branch.

Under a Russian law passed in 1997, there is freedom of religion, but four faiths are designated to be traditional—Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism—and other religious organizations must register with the government. Some groups, like Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are registered, still face bureaucratic and legal hurdles. Jehovah's Witness leaders estimate that there are 175,000 Russian-based adherents to the faith, which was founded in the United States the 1870s. Unlike Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is the son of God but do not believe in the Trinity.

13

NYTimes Article - Russia Moves to Ban Jehovah's Witnesses as 'Extremist'

by AndersonsInfo in

jw
friends

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/europe/russia-moves-to-ban-jehovahs-witnesses-as-extremist.html?_r=0.

vorokhobino, russia — a dedicated pacifist who has never even held a gun, andrei sivak discovered that his government considered him a dangerous extremist when he tried to change some money and the teller “suddenly looked up at me with a face full of fear.”.

his name had popped up on the exchangalee bureau’s computer system, along with those of members of al qaeda, the islamic state and other militant groups responsible for shocking acts of violence.. the only group the 43-year-old father of three has ever belonged to, however, is jehovah’s witnesses, a christian denomination committed to the belief that the bible must be taken literally, particularly its injunction “thou shalt not kill.”.

AndersonsInfo

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/world/europe/russia-moves-to-ban-jehovahs-witnesses-as-extremist.html?_r=0

VOROKHOBINO, Russia — A dedicated pacifist who has never even held a gun, Andrei Sivak discovered that his government considered him a dangerous extremist when he tried to change some money and the teller “suddenly looked up at me with a face full of fear.”

His name had popped up on the exchangalee bureau’s computer system, along with those of members of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and other militant groups responsible for shocking acts of violence.

The only group the 43-year-old father of three has ever belonged to, however, is Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian denomination committed to the belief that the Bible must be taken literally, particularly its injunction “Thou shalt not kill.”

Yet, in a throwback to the days of the Soviet Union, when Jehovah’s Witnesses were hounded as spies and malcontents by the K.G.B., the denomination is at the center of an escalating campaign by the authorities to curtail religious groups that compete with the Russian Orthodox Church and that challenge President Vladimir V. Putin’s efforts to rally the country behind traditional and often militaristic patriotic values.

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Posts by AndersonsInfo

Authorities ignored Gold Coast photographer's child sex crimes

Jehovah Witness charged with historic child sex offences

President signs bill to raise penalties for crimes against children

Russian Supreme Court Considers Outlawing Jehovah's Witness Worship