This is a great job, Purps. It shows your passion and your concern for children.
On p. 5, they say 90 percent of cases involve someone the child knows and trusts.
Quote- "Naturally, you do not want to believe that an affable neighbor, teacher, health-care
worker, coach, or relative could lust after your child."
I thought it would be simple to add after coach, "congregation member." I understand
legalism. That would still not be implicating themselves, but would be part of a first line of defense.
Going beyond legalism, it would not have been too difficult to explain the lawsuit issue and put a
JW spin on it-
Yes, it is true that WTS recently settled lawsuits over the issue of how counsel was given to
families with a victim of child-abuse. In these cases, WTS has traditionally applied the Biblical
rule of "two witnesses" (cite the scriptures) BLAH BLAH BLAH.
WTS has since revised it's policy to encourage families to seek professional help from the
authorities and the trained counsellors. Rather than abide by the two-witness rule, the congregations
will follow a court ruling if the accused abuser was a Witness.
All parents are reminded to keep their children within sight, even while in field service with trusted
brothers and sisters. Do not send them with others, no matter how willing those others are. Since it
is not policy to announce from the platform, names of predators, WTS is insisting that parents and
other members use the utmost of safety and not allow their child to be put into a situation where they
would be isolated with members away from family.
I know the legal dept. would have to refine that, but it easily would have made them look better.
Instead, they use this world-wide problem as another proof of the end right around the corner and
never address any problem within the "Christian congregations."
Thanks for the hard work, Purps.