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Jehovah's Witnesses: Why do you support and protect the child rapists in your organization?

BBC Panorama: Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzWupVczfCQ Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5tjuEVi23g&feature=related Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebnBzVXDA9Q&feature=related Sample transcript: #1: (BBC REPORTER): This young woman told them her father was sexually abusing her. The elders called her a liar. (ALISON - Victim of sexual abuse by one of Jehovah's Witnesses): I told him everything that had happened and what my dad had done to me and he said that he didn't believe me at all and he said that I was a liar, and that my dad would never do such a thing and my dad was such a nice man. (BBC Reporter): Like her sister, she was sent home. Her father – 'the nice man' – was free to continue abusing her. So she gave the elders an ultimatum: either they did something or she'd go to the police. They did nothing. Police statement (ALISON): I have told the police about my dad because I am concerned that he has contact with other young girls through the church. (BBC Reporter): What they did was keep a record of her father's name and confession on a church database - a register of suspected and convicted pedophiles to be monitored. We asked Alison Cousins to obtain a copy of her records using the Data Protection Act. There, in black and white, was proof that the Jehovah's Witnesses had known for 3 years that her father was a self-confessed pedophile. Yet, far from monitoring him, the elders twice turned a blind eye to his abuse of his daughters. When he confessed to church elders, Cousins got a mild rebuke. When he confessed in court, he got 5 years in jail. DETECTIVE SERGEANT WALLACE BURGESS: I believe we were the last to know. They had told several people before coming to the police, and these people had not reported it either to the police or the social services. We have a duty to protect, and if we're not told we are unable to protect. BBC Reporter: But they wouldn't help. BURGESS: They wouldn't give a statement to us, no. #2 (BBC Reporter): The latest name added to the list should be that of James Barrett. Three days ago, clutching his Bible, this elder from Rugby was convicted of indecently assaulting two boys and sentenced to two years in prison. The church was told of the allegations five years ago, but Barrett denied them and was allowed to remain an elder. #3: WOMAN OFFICER: It took nearly 4 years for the case to come to court. Paul Berry faced 17 charges of aggravated sexual assault... (BBC REPORTER): But not everyone did believe them, even after he was convicted by a jury on all 17 indictments. Two dozen members of the Kingdom Hall turned up at the sentencing hearing. They all appeared to give character statements for Paul Berry. DETECTIVE SERGEANT JACK ZELLER: He had already been found guilty and they found room in their hearts to stand in front of that child and say we don't believe any of it. And what they were saying was, they didn't believe the child, they didn't believe in the system of justice, they didn't believe the judge, they didn't believe the jury, they didn't believe anyone - except themselves. HOLLY BREWER : ...everybody started saying "He's baby-sat our kids hundreds of times. I would let him baby-sit our kids every day..." DETECTIVE SERGEANT JACK ZELLER: I can't imagine how badly she must have felt not to have been believed by elders in her own close-knit community. What a horrible blow to a child this must have been. Shame, shame on them. #4 (BBC REPORTER): ...the elders supported the accused. Even after Patty was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail they didn't waver. At the next meeting in the Kingdom Hall, the elders made sure the congregation knew where they stood. SIMON BRADY: There's Nice McGivern saying "As a body of elders - that's including every elder in Rubery - we feel as a body of elders that basically this man is innocent, we believe he's innocent, and the Bethel have informed us they will do everything in their power to help this man". SERGEANT STEVE COLLEY: I then made it my duty to actually speak to the Legal Services Team of the Bethel in London and voice my disquiet about the lack of co-operation I'd had from start to finish from this inquiry. (BBC REPORTER): Under police pressure, the elders did apologize and were demoted though not sacked. SERGEANT STEVE COLLEY: They were very reluctant to give up any information towards me. It was an uphill battle so far as the church was concerned, with me, virtually at every turn. They actually said to me unless I provide two Jehovah's Witnesses who'd actually seen the offense, then as far as they were concerned the offense hadn't taken place. Full transcript here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/audio_video/programmes/panorama/transcripts/transcript_14_07_02.txt sioux †: It is reasonable to accept that there will be individual "bad apples" in their organization.The issue here is that the entire body of elders, the local Jehovah's Witness community, and even their Bethel HQ vigorously resisted police investigations and supported Jehovah's Witness child molesters in court, even going so far as to accuse the abused children of lying. BAR-ANERGES: “You are seriously misled. You have gullibly swallowed the deceptions...” Please clarify: are you accusing these children that have been sexually abused by Jehovah's Witnesses of lying? "...and misrepresented the facts.” Would you care to substantiate this accusation? Which facts have I misrepresented? "It's ok, we're not as bad as some other religions!!!" is not an acceptable explanation. Apparently you also missed my reply to sioux † which refutes other erroneous statements in your post. "...but those cases...occurred only because the organization's policies were improperly ignored by individual elders." The facts presented above prove this claim to be completely false. "To date, there has been no court decision against the Watchtower Society or any other legal agency used by Jehovah's Witnesses for negligence in a child abuse case." That's because the WTS settled out of court to avoid charges of criminal negligence. "The Watchtower Society paid an undisclosed amount in an out-of-court settlement with 16 unnamed victims of alleged sexual abuse within the religion. According to court documents obtained by NBC News, one plaintiff was awarded over $780,000 USD." Hannah B: Unfortunately, child abuse among Jehovah's Witnesses is not limited to the US, nor is it limited to elders. Elijah: Do you think that JW *policy* on child abuse proved effective in the above cases? Which part of that policy was Bethel, the body of elders, and the dozens of JW's following while supporting these pedophiles in your organization?

Public Comments

1. Jehovah's Witnesses is a cult. People at the top in watch tower manipulate people in the bottom levels to thinking their apart of something legit and drain them of all their money. Their beliefs are based on a translation lie. They are told that everyone translates the bible wrong and that they only have the true version. If you present a greek new testament bible and explose their lies about translation they will freak out and kick you out of the church and tell you your going to hell for questioning them.
2. Theres bad apples on every tree. Even Jesus warned about this in a variety of ways. I think you could find the best church, best faith , best whatever, and there is satan in the midst. Even Judas was sitting at the last supper.
3. Greetings, You are seriously misled. You have gullibly swallowed the deceptions and misrepresented facts. When you compare Jehovah's Witnesses with all other religions or secular organizations Witnesses have the best record for protecting its members from child molesters, fornicators and other perverts. Most other religions did nothing about priests and ministers who were child molesters and homosexual deviants, and continued to simply transfer these clergy to other congregations when found out. But, Jehovah's Witnesses would instantly remove these individuals from serving in any teaching capacity when they were found out and disfellowship them. Even more reprehensible is that fact that other religions constantly criticized the Witnesses for their disfellowshipping policy. Now, these religions, Protestant and Catholic, are facing thousands of legal cases and paying enormous settlements. At the same time, any legal charges against the Watchtower society has repeatedly been dismissed by the courts because they determined that Witnesses have NEVER hidden child molesters nor have they ever just transferred Elders accused of molestation to another congregation. So historically Witnesses have the BEST legal record of any religion. "To date, there has been no court decision against the Watchtower Society or any other legal agency used by Jehovah's Witnesses for negligence in a child abuse case." -Wikipedia; 'Jehovah's Witnesses and child sex abuse' While thousands of Protestant clergy and thousands of Catholic priests were charged with child abuse in the last decades, only a little over a dozen Witness Elders have been charged in the last 100 years. In official polls between 25% and 40% of clergy admitted that they had engaged in sexual behavior with some member of their flock and about 15% of clergy are homosexual. And most religions do almost nothing about these clergy! So, a more valid question would be to ask if YOUR religion has continued to allow fornicators, homosexuals and adulterers to be ministers, priests and teachers?!! Has YOUR religion continued to simply transfer clergymen who have molested children?!! But, among the Witnesses the very few elders who commit immoral acts are instantly removed and most likely disfellowshipped. The media and opposers like to sensationalize a couple of cases where someone was not removed immediately, but those cases are anomalies and occurred only because the organization's policies were improperly ignored by individual elders. For the facts see: http://www.jw-media.org/cgi-bin/lib/ProcessForm.pl "Congregation elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. (Mark 12:17; Romans 13:1) We do not silence victims. Our members have an absolute right to report this horrible crime to the authorities. The October 2007 issue of our monthly journal Awake! features the cover series, "Keep Your Children Safe!" These articles clearly show our concern for protecting children from sexual abuse." "The truth is that adherents to the faith of Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to maintain high moral standards. While other religions have developed a relaxed attitude towards morals, Jehovah's Witnesses have remained steadfast. Views on morals have not changed in the religion's 120-year history." To see the actual facts regarding this subject including the false claims and misrepresentations by SilentLambs go to: http://thirdwitness.com/childabuse/default.html http://defendingjehovahswitnesses.blogspot.com/2009/11/jehovahs-witnesses-and-child-protection.html Yours, BAR-ANERGES
4. There are many cases that have been hidden in the congregations. Many of the molestors are allowed to remain in their positions and are not disfellowshipped. Some families are disfellowshipped for reporting to the police. You have just hit the tip of the iceberg. In the 90's, there were 23,000 cases of abuse on file at Bethel. Read some of these sites... http://www.silentlambs.org/ http://www.watchtowerdocuments.com/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/ns/nightly_news/t/new-evidence-jehovahs-witness-allegations/ http://www.rickross.com/reference/jw/jw102.html
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses_and_child_sex_abuse In a press release dated November 21, 2007, Jehovah's Witnesses' Office of Public Information stated: "In the United States, over 80,000 elders currently serve in over 12,300 congregations … During the last 100 years, only eleven elders have been sued for child abuse in thirteen lawsuits filed in the United States; In seven of these lawsuits against the elders, accusations against the Watchtower Society itself were dismissed by the courts." [53] Congregation discipline Jehovah's Witnesses have a disciplinary system that applies to all congregation members who commit child abuse, rather than only to members in positions of authority.[13] Their policy states that child sex victims be immediately protected from further abuse, and that abusers be prevented from finding additional victims.[14] If allegations of child abuse are deemed to have a sound basis, an internal judicial committee is formed, and the accused individual is relieved of any positions of responsibility in the congregation. Anyone found to have sexually molested a child and failing to demonstrate repentance is to be disfellowshipped from the congregation.[15] If an accused individual denies wrongdoing, but later due to evidence presented in a court of law, it is proven that he or she was involved in child abuse, the individual is disfellowshipped.
6. Wouldn't it be fair to also share what Jehovah's Witnesses' *policy* of child abuse is through the Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses? Below is an excerpt from the Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Media Web Site concerning Jehovah’s Witnesses and Child Protection: "Child abuse is abhorrent to us. This is in harmony with the Bible principle recorded at Romans 12:9. Even one abused child is one too many. For decades The Watchtower and Awake! have featured articles to educate both Witnesses and the public regarding the importance and the need to protect children from child abuse. Among others, there were the articles “Let Us Abhor What Is Wicked!” published in the January 1, 1997, issue of The Watchtower; “Help for the Victims of Incest,” in the October 1, 1983, Watchtower; “Your Child Is in Danger!” “How Can We Protect Our Children?” and “Prevention in the Home”, all in the October 8, 1993, Awake!, as well as “Child Molesting—Every Mother’s Nightmare,” in the January 22, 1985, Awake! "When any one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is accused of an act of child abuse, the local congregation elders are expected to investigate. Two elders meet separately with the accused and the accuser to see what each says on the matter. If the accused denies the charge, the two elders may arrange for him and the victim to restate their position in each other’s presence, with elders also there. If during that meeting the accused still denies the charges and there are no others who can substantiate them, the elders cannot take action within the congregation at that time. Why not? As a Bible-based organization, we must adhere to what the Scriptures say, namely, “No single witness should rise up against a man respecting any error or any sin . . . At the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses the matter should stand good.” (Deuteronomy 19:15) Jesus reaffirmed this principle as recorded at Matthew 18:15-17. However, if two persons are witnesses to separate incidents of the same kind of wrongdoing, their testimony may be deemed sufficient to take action. "However, even if the elders cannot take congregational action, they are expected to report the allegation to the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses in their country, if local privacy laws permit. In addition to making a report to the branch office, the elders may be required by law to report even uncorroborated or unsubstantiated allegations to the authorities. If so, the elders receive proper legal direction to ensure that they comply with the law. Additionally, the victim or anyone else who has knowledge of the allegation may wish to report the matter to the authorities, and it is his or her absolute right to do so. "If, when confronted, the accused confesses that he is guilty of child abuse, the elders take appropriate congregational action. If he is not repentant, he will not be permitted to remain a member of the congregation. Even if he is repentant—is cut to the heart and is thus resolutely determined to avoid such conduct in the future—what was stated in the January 1, 1997, issue of The Watchtower applies. The article said: “For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer [full-time missionary of Jehovah’s Witnesses] or serve in any other special, full-time service.” He would not qualify Scripturally. (1 Timothy 3:2, 7-10) We take such action because we are concerned with maintaining Bible standards and protecting our children. Everyone in our organization is expected to meet the same requirements, namely, to be clean physically, mentally, morally, and spiritually.—2 Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 4:17-19; 1 Thessalonians 2:4. "Our procedures have been refined over time. Over the years, as we have noted areas where our policies could be strengthened, we have followed through. We are continuing to refine them. We do not believe that our system is perfect. No human organization is perfect. But we do believe that we have a strong, Bible-based policy on child abuse. Anyone in a responsible position who is guilty of child abuse would be removed from his responsibilities without hesitation. We certainly would not knowingly allow him to serve elsewhere, either because he moved or through a transfer. Further, we regularly review our procedures to ensure that they are in compliance with the law.—Romans 13:1." Full Article: http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/article23.htm Also see: Inquiries on Child Abuse—Our Response http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/jwb03e.htm Dealing With Child Abuse http://www.jw-media.org/aboutjw/jwb02e.htm