Can the Elders Be Prosecuted for Covering it up?

by Dragonlady76 8 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Dragonlady76

  Ok I got to thinking, the elders cover up and do not report allegations of child molestation and if they know of a known molester amongst them they do not warn the cong, correct me if I am wrong but isn't that a crime? Sexual offenders are supposed to stay away from areas were child ren congregate, such as a playground, school, library etc.... Jessica Lunsfords neighbor was charged with harbouring a pedo, (he was not registered at her home) isn't that the same thing the elders are doing?

  Anyone care to enlighten me?
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  Quandary

  That's a good question for Kimberly Norris "Stillconcerned" maybe she can inform us?

  Q
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  sir82

  For the USA:

  It is pounded into elders' heads, over and over and over AND OVER again: "When you hear of a accusation of child molestation, your FIRST STEP must be to call Bethel legal desk."

  When an elder calls the legal desk, the first question is, "what state do you live in?"

  When the answer is given, the Bethel Legal desk person then informs the elder whether that state has legal requirements that the allegation be reported to the authorities.

  If the state does require reporting, the elder is instructed to contact the authorities to report it.

  If the state does not require it, the elder is told he does not have to report it.

  The only way, legally, that an elder could get "in trouble" is if he lives in a state where such reporting is required and he does not do so. I think there are 13 or so states that do not require such reporting.

  Morally? Of course it should be reported. But since when have JWs been concerned with doing what is morally right? It's all CYA and protect "mother".
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  Dragonlady76

  What about the known "registered sex offender" in the cong..... regardless of what state you are in there are laws concerning warning the public, if the elders keep this quiet, they are breaking the law....or am I wrong?

  I am pretty sure that I have read about elders knowingly keeping this secret.
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  stillconcerned

  Almost all states have a reporting requirement, and criminal penalties if the report is not made, but few district attorneys actually prosecute these cases.

  Generally, the 'failure to report' isn't even known until years later.

  As well, some religious orgs, including WTS, parse words related to 'clergy privilege'; whether 'clergy' are required to report abuse revealed to them in the course of spiritual counsel.

  In any case, no parent should EVER be told he/she SHOULD NOT report, and this is a common fact pattern in the JW cases I have reviewed.

  Likewise, OF COURSE no man or woman who has been accused of sexual abuse should ever hold a position of authority in an organization. Parents believe those who 'wear the banner' of an org are 'safe' for their kids. This, in my opinion, in the primary sin of the WTS org; keeping perps around kids, with an ostensible 'seal of approval' from the org...

  'still concerned'
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  Dragonlady76

  I would like to see elders prosecuted for not warning the cong that a pedo is in their midst.

  About two years ago some dubs were door to door in my neighborhood, this shocked me as it's deed restricted and I had never seen them here before, so I contacted my home owners association and warned them about the JW's going door to door around my neighborhood along with several articles on the JW molestation cover up scandal, this prompted for larger no soliciting/dist. signs to be posted, haven't seen any since but then again, they don't care and will come back again someday. I was just happy that 175 homes were made aware not to answer to JW's.
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  WTWizard

  Not only would I like to see the elders prosecuted, but I would like to see the whole organization shut down. This s*** is going on throughout the whole organization, and the two-witness rule is widely known. The authorities should know about that by now, since there are enough apostates that would be all too happy to reveal it to the lawmakers, and it is widespread among the Internet. In fact, Silentlambs is dedicated to this problem alone, and that is a huge site by now.

  Not only should the organization be shut down, but the leaders should be incarcerated for life. They should be charged with every person who got sexually molested within the organization by someone that has done it before and would have been removed had the two-witness rule not been in place. They also need to be held accountable for all the people that died because of their blood and organ policy, those who died in Malawi, those whose lives have been ruined by not going to college or by having to spend childhoods out in service, the murders committed by Witlesses who were under stress from trying to meet Tower requirements, all those on food stamps so they can pioneer, and anyone else who has been killed or otherwise injured while trying to serve this monster organization. And anyone else who steps up to run the organization, and continues running it the way it's being run now, should also be sent up the river.
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  kwr

  In some States the elders can be prosecuted for not reporting child abuse, however they have no obligation to tell the congregation about child abusers in the congregation. That is not unique to the JW's, because nobody has the requirement to tell you about the criminal history of a person that attends your church.
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  Sarah Smiles

  If the person is a register sex offender, It depends if their probation officers allow them to go to church. Some churches will have a person assigned to the sex offender during service.

  As far as covering it up! I think with time and many people coming forward the WTBTS will need to make changes.

  Sex offenders are in all churches and the WTBTS is not unique to these problems!

  I would like to see elders prosecuted! :-)