‘There was no reprimand, nothing changed’: Survivors criticise Jehovah’s Witness elders for failing to act over child sexual abuse claims

The Jehovah’s Witnesses church says its elders “endeavour to comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse” – but survivors say that does not necessarily translate to helping the authorities. Jason Farrell

Home editor @JasonFarrellSky

Wednesday 1 September 2021 21:44, UK

Image: Elders at the Jehovah’s Witnesses church have been accused of failing to act on sexual abuse claims

Jehovahs Witnesses: ‘Shocking failures’ in child protection in religious institutions, report finds

 IICSA Report – Conclusion 25:

25.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses are one of few religious organisations which have an internal disciplinary process which can lead to the expulsion of members. The internal disciplinary processes of the Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to use a rule of corroborative evidence known outside the community as ‘the two-witness rule’, whereby in the absence of a confession the evidence of two material witnesses is required to establish an allegation, which can then lead to disfellowship for the purposes of internal discipline. The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. The rule’s capacity to cause harm to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse is clear. We have received first-hand evidence of this harm. As it presently operates, the Jehovah’s Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.

Click to access child-protection-religious-organisations-settings-investigation-report-september-2021.pdf

LIVE LINE spends a second day on the Jehovah’s Witnesses. “John Cedars” is introduced as an authoritative ex member who is agood source for understanding this movement.

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/html5/#/radio1/21568732

More on the Jehovah’s Witnesses including Noel, a current member, who refuses to talk to his brother Gerard, a former member.

Here I was reminded of the Eighties when a group of people including Martin Merriman and John May held meetings at the Mansion House where they started a movement to bring out the truth of what was really going on. I remember one night being in Gerard May’s house. What they were looking at over 35 years ago will be comenormal over the next few years.

Here is the background to Lloyd Evans aka John Cedars. He is totally up to speed on developments. Below you see a very well argued predictions as to how this organisation might evolve.

https://www.youtube.com/user/johncedars1929/about?disable_polymer=1

Live Line on how the Jehovah’s Witnesses deal with ethical issues.

When joining the Jehovah’s Witnesses you can be involved in hiding issues from the Gardai. The exercise of their justice system which is called a judicial committee made up of three elders could mean that in the case of sexual abuse you must bring forward two witnesses. Also, they have invented a new word ‘Disfellowshipping.’ which involves a system which contradicts what scripture suggests and which leads to a total blanking of former members. No social contact, no meals together and if you met a member in say a supermarket they would refuse to acknowledge you exist. It is very similar to the mechanism used by Scientology called disconnection. Here is a guide to what should happen:

15 “If your brother or sister[b] sins,[c] go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[d] 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Note the purpose of discipline is rehabilitative and not penal,
Step 1: Go to the person privately and engage. Step 2 If they do not listen take one or two witnesses, so now you have witnesses to the mediation process. Note the Jehovah’s Witnesses are now saying you must say have two witnesses to say a sexual abuse incident and not to the process addressing it. This a travesty of an interpretation. Finally, Step 3 the issue is to be brought to the church, not to a kangaroo court. Note not to a private sitting of a group of men with a rule book, but an announcement is made to the whole church that this person is to be treated like a pagan or a person doing something wrong. In other words, you treat them as people who need to be helped, loved and respected so that they may amend their ways and return to fellowship. That is the Jesus way, the JW way is out of the pit of hell.

“Tell No One.” The particular dynamics of sex abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses

Tell No One.
The particular dynamics of sex abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses by Barry Whyte in the Sunday Business Post. Sunday April 21, 2019

https://dialogueireland.wordpress.com/category/christian/jehovahs-witnesses/

Disclaimer: Dialogue Ireland is publishing this material as a resource to assist victims of this group. We have no financial incentive to do so. We make our expertise available to all members of the media without charge. 

The photographic record of the Dialog Centre Aarhus Denmark

Anders Blichfeldt was a co-worker at the Dialog Centret from the end of the seventies. He had an amazing gift to have a camera always available so we have an interesting record of a developing movement and network which involved people all over ther world and especially the emerging Dialog Center International, (DCI.)

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dialogcenterimages

 

The photographer and documentarist Anders Blichfeldt

 

Dalai Lama and Johannes Aagaard

Hatha Yogi in Rishikesh, India