just stumbled across it tonite.
17/09/2019 @ 0830pm.
Deals with Family Estrangement and discusses the JWs and shunning.
Preview article written by Lara...
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/how-the-jehovah-s-witnesses-broke-my-family
SBS Insight TV promo...
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/tvepisode/family-estrangement
Full episode (you will have to join but it’s free)...
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1597218883915/family-estrangement
series part 3 - human rights commission met with jehovah’s witnesses over safety concerns.
independent inquiry journalism | inq .
georgia wilkins.
Series Part 3 - Human Rights Commission met with Jehovah’s Witnesses over safety concerns
Independent Inquiry Journalism | INQ
Sept. 16, 2019
Georgia Wilkins
Reporter
https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/09/16/jehovahs-witnesses-human-rights-commission/
Australia’s human rights watchdog has raised concerns about child safety with senior Jehovah’s Witnesses leaders, as the secretive sect faces scrutiny over its handling of sexual abuse claims.
INQ can reveal that Australian Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow met with senior leaders in the organisation in April to discuss religious freedom and concerns it had been made aware of regarding child safety.
The meeting came after abuse victims appealed to the commission to investigate the group’s practices.
But a spokesperson for Santow played down the meeting, saying it doesn’t have the power to investigate claims of child abuse.
“The commission is committed to protecting the rights of children in all contexts. The rights of the child do not stop at the doors of any religious or other institutions,” a statement said.
A spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses Australasia declined to respond to questions about the meeting or concerns of child safety. Instead he referred to a recent article in The Watchtower magazine denouncing child sexual abuse.
Advocates against sexual abuse within the secretive religious group say they are disappointed that the commission hasn’t taken further steps to address what it says are dangerous and discriminatory practices inside the organisation.
“You would think the Human Rights Commission would take a strong stance against these types of issues, but they haven’t,” said Lara Kaput, a spokesperson for victim advocacy group Say Sorry.
“They need to take action where human rights are being abused.”
The Human Rights Commission in its current design cannot take organisations to court in relation to human rights abuse issues. But it can investigate complaints of abuse and develop policy to promote the safety of children. There is currently no public body assigned to regulate religious groups on behalf of children.
The royal commission found that children inside the Jehovah’s Witnesses were not safe from the risk of abuse.
“We do not consider the Jehovah’s Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse,” the commission found. “We do not believe that children are adequately protected from the risk of sexual abuse.”
It said the organisation still relied on “outdated policies and practices” that left “perpetrators of child sexual abuse at large in the organisation and the community”.
One practice that was singled out was shunning, where Jehovah’s Witnesses are warned against associating, fraternising or conversing with a person who has chosen to disassociate from the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The commission found the practice prevented child sexual abuse being reported.
“Since a survivor’s entire family and social networks is likely to comprise members of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation, a survivor of child sexual abuse may therefore be faced with the impossible choice between staying in an organisation which is protective of their abuser in order to retain their social and familial network and leaving the organisation and losing that entire network as a result,” it found.
Say Sorry says it wants the Human Rights Commission and other authorities to conduct a full investigation into policies like shunning, which they say are designed to cover up allegations of abuse.
“The Jehovah’s Witnesses haven’t changed their practice of shunning,” Kaput said. “We expect a body like the Human Rights Commission to have a voice on behalf of our children who are being abused.”
Last week INQ reported that a body representing the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia had written to all elders in the organisation ordering them to destroy confidential records, including notes taken by elders investigating child sexual abuse, in an instruction that has enraged survivors of abuse inside the secretive Christian sect.
In a letter obtained by INQ dated August 28, a body called the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Australasia) instructs elders to destroy so-called judicial hearing records and certain congregation notes.
A spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses declined to answer questions about the letter on Monday, but said in a statement that records relating to child abuse were “retained in harmony with all legal requirements”.
But during a 2015 hearing, the royal commission heard that it was normal practice for the Jehovah’s Witnesses to destroy notes about child sexual abuse allegations.
Jehovah’s Witnesses elder Max Horley said at the time he destroyed notes from a meeting about a particular sexual abuse case despite it being of “very serious nature”. He also told Justice Peter McClellan he would have destroyed any notes about the incident to protect the congregation and individuals involved.
“That’s our practice,” he said.
Related articles:
Series Part 1 - https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/09/10/leaders-of-the-jehovahs-witnesses-ordered-to-destroy-confidential-records/
Series Part 2 - https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/09/12/compensation-claims-jehovahs-witnesses/
https://www.crikey.com.au/2019/09/12/compensation-claims-jehovahs-witnesses/.
dr judy courtin explains to inq why the destruction of documents could have huge ramifications for victims inside the jehovah’s witnesses.. an order by the jehovah’s witnesses in australia to destroy confidential records could undermine a child abuse compensation claim currently being prepared for the supreme court of victoria.
a lawyer representing the victim says she was shocked to learn that the christian body had ordered confidential documents, including notes taken by elders investigating child sexual abuse, to be destroyed.
Re: Dr Judy Courtin
july 2019 wt mag.
study article 27, to sept 8 (last weak) sic intended.
page 5. .
We're on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Taking that ride to nowhere
We'll take that ride
I'm feeling okay this morning
And you know
We're on the road to paradise
Here we go, here we go
https://7news.com.au/politics/abuse-reporting-law-passes-vic-parliament-c-445627?utm_campaign=share-icons&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&tid=1568152669571&fbclid=iwar2mvjbkt-nlu3tx-rmifxynagtcec1ad8lm4zcn2-f3zloqpd8xb1jamsi.
victorian parliament has passed laws making it mandatory for priests to report child abuse, including when it is revealed to them during confession.. a bill introduced by the state labor government passed the upper house on tuesday after last week getting a green light from the legislative assembly, with opposition support.. "today we've made victoria a safer place for children.
the special treatment for churches has ended and child abuse must be reported," child protection minister luke donnellan said in a statement....
Media Release:
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/victorian-children-better-protected-under-new-laws/
Religious and spiritual leaders in Victoria must report child abuse to the authorities, even if it was heard in the confessional, under historic new laws passed by the Andrews Labor Government.
The Labor Government’s Children Legislation Amendment Bill 2019 passed through the Victorian Parliament today, delivering on a key election commitment. The legislation means people in religious ministries are now mandated reporters to child protection and the confessional seal must be lifted for suspected sexual abuse of children.
Mandatory reporting refers to the legal requirement for nominated professional groups to report a reasonable belief of physical or sexual child abuse to authorities.
Priests and spiritual leaders in religious ministries will now join teachers, police, medical practitioners, nurses, school counsellors, early childhood and youth justice workers as mandated reporters.
In addition, the new laws ensure disclosures of abuse during religious confession are not exempt under the Failure to Disclose offence contained in the Crimes Act – meaning those who don’t report abuse face up to three years in prison.
The landmark reforms also allow survivors of sexual and non-sexual institutional abuse to apply to the courts to overturn unfair historical compensation payments.
Other reforms passed to strengthen the protection of children include:
These reforms respond directly to recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
leaders of the jehovah’s witnesses ordered to destroy confidential records.
a letter obtained by inq has shed light on the secretive methods the jehovah's witnesses are undertaking to erase the impact of child sexual abuse within the sect.. by georgia wilkins sept 10, 2019. a body representing the jehovah’s witnesses in australia has written to all elders of the group ordering them to destroy confidential records, including notes taken by elders investigating child sexual abuse, in an instruction that has enraged survivors of abuse inside the secretive christian sect.. in a letter obtained by inq, dated august 28, a body called the christian congregation of jehovah’s witnesses (australasia) instructs elders to destroy so-called judicial hearing records and certain congregation notes.. “we ask that each elder check his personal computer, or hard copy files, and even his meeting bag, to ensure that no confidential correspondence is retained outside the congregation’s confidential file,” the letter states.
it also directs elders to destroy information aired against so-called “wrongdoers”: “if this ‘wild talk’ is recorded in detail, it may not be accurately assessed when reviewed out of context,” it says.
A letter obtained by INQ has shed light on the secretive methods the Jehovah's Witnesses are undertaking to erase the impact of child sexual abuse within the sect.
by Georgia Wilkins Sept 10, 2019
A body representing the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia has written to all elders of the group ordering them to destroy confidential records, including notes taken by elders investigating child sexual abuse, in an instruction that has enraged survivors of abuse inside the secretive Christian sect.
In a letter obtained by INQ, dated August 28, a body called the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses (Australasia) instructs elders to destroy so-called judicial hearing records and certain congregation notes.
“We ask that each elder check his personal computer, or hard copy files, and even his meeting bag, to ensure that no confidential correspondence is retained outside the congregation’s confidential file,” the letter states.
It also directs elders to destroy information aired against so-called “wrongdoers”: “If this ‘wild talk’ is recorded in detail, it may not be accurately assessed when reviewed out of context,” it says. “If it is determined that some brief personal notes need to be taken during a hearing, they should be destroyed once a summation of the hearing has been prepared.”
A spokesperson for the Jehovah’s Witnesses declined to answer questions. In a statement he said records relating to child abuse were “retained in harmony with all legal requirements”.
[continued in link]
i am providing version 1 of my critique of the brochure: "the origin of life" -- using scientists".. i appreciate the responses that i received to the pre-draft versions.. the critique looks at how the brochure uses its scientific sources.
i am concerned with whether it is honest or dishonest.. there are a few places where i have difficulty locating a source and your help will be appreciated.. as always, let me know the corrections (technical or grammatical), additions, suggestions and so on.. https://jwstudies.com/the_origin_of_life__scientists.pdf .
i am not concerned whether the brochure's information regarding evolution is technically correct or adequate.
A lot of work in there Doug. Congrats. You mentioned it was a critique. Would that be better in the title on the cover page along with the date, i.e. August 2019?
recent watchtower forms you may want for your records.
zipped folder at bottom.. .
2019-07-31 frequently asked questions.
Thanks as always.
for an organisation that has made a lot of predictions, the wts does not exactly have an impressive record of getting it right.
its probably impossible to count the number of trees that have been killed and turned into paper pulp for the sake of millions of pages of false prophecies that have been printed.
on the other hand, the cartoon show, the simpson's has accurately predicted some interesting events, years in advance without the death of one tree.
part two (tuesday):.
tv: https://www.kcra.com/article/silent-no-more-part-2-the-verdicts/28660625.
.
[QUOTE] Inside a courthouse in Thompson Falls, Montana, the Jehovah's Witnesses organization in September suffered its greatest court defeat in a U.S. child sex abuse case.
Stinnett, in his first interview about the case, explained how he and eight other Sanders County jurors found the Jehovah's Witnesses governing organizations negligent and "guilty of malice" in the child sexual abuse of Alexis Nunez, awarding her $35 million.
