Dan Fitzwater used to pull his daughters pants down to beat their butts well into their teens. Dan, of course is a child molester. The only other man I knew that did that is also a child molester!
IMO, ANYONE that knows of an adult pulling a childs pants down to spank them should report that person to the police and/or social services RIGHT AWAY!
As far as beatings amoung JW's. I have been in at least 7 congergations as a JW. IN EVERY ONE OF THEM parents were highly encouraged to take their children back to the bathrooms for a spanking if the child did not sit still. Some parents complied with that more than others. I was told that I should take my 6 month old to the back for a "swat" because she was restless. I took my child back and nursed her instead. I was too weak of a person to tell that elder that I could not do that to my child. I would like to face him now. I saw so many cases of children, very young children, getting their butts beat. I wish I could go back in time and put a stop to it. I wish I had spoken up long before I did about abuse.
One elder I will never forget, was "helping" a young mother who was raised as a witness but not baptized. He would take her 2 year old out to the parking lot and beat him with a switch from a tree. She followed suit. I saw her in the bathroom one day. She took her son to the stall and took her shoe off and started hitting him. I ran out of the bathroom and out to the parking lot and just cried. No one else seemed to think this was wrong. And there I was as a 20 year old mother of two KNOWING it was wrong and doing and saying NOTHING. I feel ashamed for the things I saw and did nothing about.
There was sexual abuse too. I knew that my best friend was being sexually and physically abused. I went to an elder ( I was 15 at the time) and told him. I was told there was nothing they could do. I said that I wanted to go to social services. I was told not to as it would bring reproach on Jehovah's name. I did as I was told and said nothing. I carry a lot of guilt for that. My friend was abused for 3 years after that. She is a wonderful person who has never blamed me for my silence. She has forgiven me, but I cannot.
I eventually was DFed for questioning the elders for the way they handle sexual abuse cases. I wish it had not taken me so long! I WILL NEVER LOOK THE OTHER WAY AGAIN!!!!!!!!!
Laurie Fitzwater
