Posts by Tahoe

lett has announced in the latest video update that jehovah has dignified the brothers by now letting them to choose for themselves whether they want to have a beard or not -.

https://www.jw.org/en/news/region/global/2023-governing-body-update-8/.

this applies worldwide and to all brothers in any position..

Tahoe

The change is purely motivated by the need for more qualified brothers and has nothing to do with the scriptures.

24

Jehovah's Witnesses suing Dutch State for discrimination

by Tahoe in

https://nltimes.nl/2023/12/11/jehovahs-witnesses-suing-dutch-state-discrimination .

the jehovah’s witnesses have sued the dutch state for discrimination, the religious organization informed trouw.

they consider it discriminatory that the government investigated them, but no other religious organization, for their handling of sexual abuse cases.. utrecht university conducted the investigation involved, following publications in trouw in which sexual abuse victims within the jehovah’s witnesses described what happened to them, and published the results in january 2020. utrecht university concluded that 60 percent of sexual abuse victims were very critical of how the jehovah’s witnesses handled their cases, scoring the handling a 1 out of 10. many victims were traumatized by how things were handled, the researchers said.. sander dekker, then the minster for legal protection, ordered the investigation at parliament’s insistence because the jehovah’s witnesses failed to arrange an investigation themselves, as the catholic church did at the time with the deetman commission.. the jehovah’s witnesses cooperated in the utrecht university investigation but unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of its results.

Tahoe

https://nltimes.nl/2023/12/11/jehovahs-witnesses-suing-dutch-state-discrimination

The Jehovah’s Witnesses have sued the Dutch State for discrimination, the religious organization informed Trouw. They consider it discriminatory that the government investigated them, but no other religious organization, for their handling of sexual abuse cases.

Utrecht University conducted the investigation involved, following publications in Trouw in which sexual abuse victims within the Jehovah’s Witnesses described what happened to them, and published the results in January 2020. Utrecht University concluded that 60 percent of sexual abuse victims were very critical of how the Jehovah’s Witnesses handled their cases, scoring the handling a 1 out of 10. Many victims were traumatized by how things were handled, the researchers said.

Sander Dekker, then the Minster for Legal Protection, ordered the investigation at parliament’s insistence because the Jehovah’s Witnesses failed to arrange an investigation themselves, as the Catholic Church did at the time with the Deetman Commission.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses cooperated in the Utrecht University investigation but unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of its results. The religious organization objects to the researchers’ findings, specifically, the researchers describing them as a “closed community” that makes it more difficult to report sexual abuse to the authorities. According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the results “indicate an opinion of the researchers rather than a scientifically substantiated position.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses also said that they experience “adverse consequences” from the investigation in the form of “many allegations.”

A religious organization suing the state is “fairly unique,” Paul van Sasse van IJsselt, a special professor on law and religion, told Trouw. But he isn’t surprised. The Jehovah’s Witnesses litigate a lot in Europe against government interference and have often been successful in the European Court, he said.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses did not reveal the precise indictment, so it is hard to predict whether the lawsuit has a chance of success, the professor continued. The fact that they are the only religious community that was investigated does not necessarily mean discrimination. “There may be legitimate grounds for paying special attention to this, such as signals that reports are not being handled properly,” Van Sasse van IJsselt said.

The trial already happened, and the court will rule on Wednesday, December 13, a spokesperson for the court in The Hague confirmed to Trouw.

11

Article: Face of Co Kerry woman jailed for grooming and having sex with teenage boy

by Tahoe in

this is the first image of the convicted child groomer who confessed to her jehovah’s witness congregation that she groomed a boy from the age of 14 before having sex with him two years later.. .

perverted pamela lonergan, who went on to work in childcare settings and as a carer in the community, admitted four counts of defilement of a child under the age of 17.. the offences occurred at locations in kerry and cork in 2008 and 2009.. appearing before cork circuit court earlier this month, lonergan of treanmanagh, glenbeigh, co kerry, received a one year jail sentence for the offences.. speaking afterwards, one local said the community had been stunned to learn of lonergan’s abuse.. he said another neighbour had met lonergan on the road the week before the trial and she had told him she was moving up to cork for a while.. “ obviously she thought her name wasn’t going to be disclosed in the media,” he said.. “if the victim hadn’t waived his anonymity to allow this happen, she’ have come back here when she got out and we’d have been none the wiser.”.

cork circuit criminal court heard lonergan was 26 when she first started initiating contact with the minor, having met him in a social setting.

Tahoe

This is the first image of the convicted child groomer who confessed to her Jehovah’s Witness congregation that she groomed a boy from the age of 14 before having sex with him two years later.

Perverted Pamela Lonergan, who went on to work in childcare settings and as a carer in the community, admitted four counts of defilement of a child under the age of 17.

The offences occurred at locations in Kerry and Cork in 2008 and 2009.

Appearing before Cork Circuit Court earlier this month, Lonergan of Treanmanagh, Glenbeigh, Co Kerry, received a one year jail sentence for the offences.

Speaking afterwards, one local said the community had been stunned to learn of Lonergan’s abuse.

He said another neighbour had met Lonergan on the road the week before the trial and she had told him she was moving up to Cork for a while.

“ Obviously she thought her name wasn’t going to be disclosed in the media,” he said.

“If the victim hadn’t waived his anonymity to allow this happen, she’ have come back here when she got out and we’d have been none the wiser.”

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard Lonergan was 26 when she first started initiating contact with the minor, having met him in a social setting. When the victim first met Ms Lonergan, who is now 43, the relationship was “platonic” but “intense”.

The court head that the boy was often texted by Ms Lonergan when he was in school, leading him to become tired in class.

Det Sgt Kevin Long said Ms Lonergan was fully aware the boy was a minor when she groomed him. The boy was a virgin when they had sex when he was 16.

The defilement continued from that point.

Sexual relations only concluded when the man was 18 and moved to another continent.

Ms Lonergan told her religious congregation, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, of what had occurred and expressed remorse for her behaviour. She also apologised to the victim.

The expressions of contrition took place before there was ever a complaint made to gardai by the injured party.

The man reported the matter to gardai when he was in his late twenties.

Ms Lonergan was subsequently arrested for questioning about the suspected defilement of a child. She pleaded guilty to all four charges.

In his victim impact statement, the man said: “She entered my life as my family home was being torn apart. I was extremely vulnerable and lonely and even though Pamela’s messages felt unusual, the attention was appealing.

“She told me she wanted to be the person I had my first sexual experience with. It was early in the morning after an all-night phone conversation.”

The teenager had hoped to go to university, however, the abusive relationship took its toll, and he finished school at 16.

He said even when he moved to another continent for a fresh start, Lonergan arrived there to be with him, leading him back to “this caustic environment”.

https://www.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/face-of-co-kerry-woman-jailed-for-grooming-and-having-sex-with-teenage-boy/a660031132.html

46

What do you think?

by Tahoe in

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Tahoe

28

Lawyers release survey on alleged Jehovah's Witness child abuse

by Tahoe in

a team of lawyers has released the results of its survey on alleged child abuse by members of the jehovah's witnesses religious group in japan.. the team held a news conference in tokyo on monday.

it provides legal support to former members of the group as well as to children of its members.. the lawyers conducted the survey, following the publishing of the health and welfare ministry guidelines last year about child abuse related to parents' religious beliefs.

a total of 560 people responded.. the survey shows 81 percent of the respondents said they had cards indicating they desired to refuse blood transfusions.. the ministry's guidelines state that parents' refusal of medical treatments for children on religious grounds amounts to neglect --- a form of abuse.. the lawyers said investigations are necessary to find how many people died from refusing blood transfusions, and how many of them were children.. the survey also shows 92 percent of the respondents experienced whipping, 96 percent were banned from school activities, and 93 percent were forced to limit their human relations.. the lawyers said many of the children experienced physical and mental abuse, which afterward led to problems such as loneliness, sense of alienation and a lack of self-esteem.

Tahoe

A team of lawyers has released the results of its survey on alleged child abuse by members of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group in Japan.

The team held a news conference in Tokyo on Monday. It provides legal support to former members of the group as well as to children of its members.

The lawyers conducted the survey, following the publishing of the health and welfare ministry guidelines last year about child abuse related to parents' religious beliefs. A total of 560 people responded.

The survey shows 81 percent of the respondents said they had cards indicating they desired to refuse blood transfusions.

The ministry's guidelines state that parents' refusal of medical treatments for children on religious grounds amounts to neglect --- a form of abuse.

The lawyers said investigations are necessary to find how many people died from refusing blood transfusions, and how many of them were children.

The survey also shows 92 percent of the respondents experienced whipping, 96 percent were banned from school activities, and 93 percent were forced to limit their human relations.

The lawyers said many of the children experienced physical and mental abuse, which afterward led to problems such as loneliness, sense of alienation and a lack of self-esteem. They pointed out such people are also facing economic problems due to limitations of their education and job opportunities.

The lawyers are asking the religious group to explain the government's guidelines to all of its followers and urge parents to avoid child abuse. They stressed they have no intention to prohibit individuals' freedom of belief or boost prejudice or discrimination against the group's members.

Ahead of the news conference, the lawyers visited the Children and Families Agency to submit a petition for an investigation by public authorities. The petition asks authorities to determine if the religious group can be put under an order of removing its religious corporation status. It also calls on the authorities to consider regulating abuse by religious and other organizations outside children's homes.

One of the lawyers, Tanaka Kotaro, said he wants society to be aware that the children have lost their spirit and are suffering a great deal of psychological pressure. He called for a change in the situation where long-term abuses deprive children of spirit.

Asked about the survey results, Jehovah's Witnesses told NHK that it never tolerates child abuse in any form. The group said it had consistently advised parents to teach and discipline their children in a loving manner in harmony with what the Bible teaches.

The group also said the survey was based on responses from a small number of people, compared to roughly 214,000 followers in Japan and about 8.7 million globally. The group concluded that it should be impossible to see the whole picture from the answers of a limited number of people who have negative feelings.

Meanwhile, Children's Policy Minister Kato Ayuko said that child abuse is definitely unacceptable even if there is religious belief in the background. She added that she hopes to make a compilation of consultations about child abuse by the end of March, and then discuss how to tackle the issue.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20231120_26/