http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2123546.stm
I personally knew one of the abusers the Panorama show focused on - James Barratt. I knew him whilst the abuse was taking place but like everyone else had no idea what was happening. He was an elder who ran his own very successful quackery homeopathy business. I only ever had a 'nodding' acquaintance with one of his victims, Jordan Grant, as we were not in the same cong'.
Because Barratt was such a well liked elder, amiable, funny and kind (yeah I know), some found it almost impossible to believe that the allegations were true - he consistently denied the charges and, to my knowledge, still does. What made this especially difficult for me was that he was pulling the wool over the eyes of people I cared about, specifically my wifes family.
They would ask me why I believed he was guilty.
I said that none of us had access to the evidence, but that the police did and felt it was strong enough to present to the Crown Prosecution Service. For the sake of our American friends here, the CPS is the body in England that decides if a case should go to trial - it's a good way of ensuring that the Courts do not fill up with frivolous or irresolvable trials.
Barrett went to Court and was found guilty. Three professional bodies, the police, the CPS and a High Court Judge & Jury found him guilty of abuse. That, I answered is why I believed he was guilty.
I telephoned the Detective Inspector, Jim Hill, who had led the investigation into Barratt. He had to be careful what he said but assured me that the nature of the abuse as recounted separately and independently by his two victims was such that there could be no question of them colluding to create false allegations against him. This is aside from any lack of motive anyway!
Barratt was convicted in July 2002, he served his time and on his release he and his wife were moved to various other congregations and ended up in Birmingham. He was reinstated in June 2006.
Now get this. James Barratt's long suffering wife who stood by his side throughout the whole sordid affair lived long enough to see him welcomed back into their new congregation and then died of a heart attack. She was a lovely woman in her 50's and didn't deserve any of this. The strain she had been under the past five years finally proved too much. She leaves a son and daughter - both fine young people.
Rest in peace Gill'.
I do not know of Barratt's current status or how he is viewed - my contacts in JW land are fading fast.
