@searcher
Nitty Gritty - If your wife/sister/daughter was raped by a fellow J.W., would you consult the elders first, or would you report it to the police?
Interested to see what your reasoning is, compared to those elders in Australia - and elswhere.
Well it can't be a wife, as I occupy that role. If it was my sister I would encourage her to go to the police, but I would respect her decision whether to go or not. I could not force her. But she would be obliged to go to the elders to report the sin/crime of a fellow believer. If she didn't go I would report it to the elders for her. If it was my daughter, and she was a minor, I would not need to consult with anyone. I would report the person to the elders and the police immediately, and not necessarily in that order.