Then what is the WT child abuse policy....

by amccullough 16 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • AlanF
    AlanF

    I'm very happy to hear your story, amccullogh! It shows that the issues brought up by silentlambs this past year have had a good effect in forcing the Society to tell elders to do the right thing.

    In order to understand the criticisms from various people that the Society's policy has been to conceal child molesters, you have to understand a bit of history of their policy, and note that the issue is complicated by the fact that their continually changing policy is implemented to varying degrees by local elders and by whatever responsible individuals the elders contact within the Society. Since I don't have reference materials available at the moment, but have some time on my hands, I'll give you my recollection of some of this history.

    Until the late 1980s the Society essentially had no child molestation policy, except that elders generally treated molestation more or less as a sexual sin like fornication or adultery. However, given that molestation occurs to children and not adults, many elders, perhaps for cultural reasons, did not view molestation as being as serious as, say, fornication between two adults. This is along the lines of the way the Society did not, until the early 1970s, view things like homosexual sexual activity or bestiality as "fornication" and so a JW was not allowed to divorce if their mate practiced these things. We know that this attitude about child molestation persists among certain high Watchtower officials because, according to certain internal Bethel sources, certain officials have voiced the opinion that little girls often invite molestation by older, "good Society men" simply by climbing on their laps and doing what comes naturally -- being affectionate with a grandpappy. When men like this are in control of an organization, their attitude naturally propagates down through the ranks.

    On top of this is the overriding tendency of JWs to protect the public image of their organization. Of course, they say that they're only "protecting Jehovah's name", but we who have watched the way this has worked out over the years know very well that they're mainly protecting the image of the JW organization, along with the reputations of the leaders -- the "faithful and discreet slave". Naturally, any kind of negative publicity tends to tarnish the image of that "slave", not only to the public but most importantly to the JW rank and file, and so it is natural for JWs at all levels to tend to suppress all negative information, even if it results in injustice or failure to punish a child molester. This attitude among JWs is fundamental to their religion and has been with it from its beginning. It doesn't go away overnight, even in the face of adverse publicity about the child molestation issue, and given the age of JW leaders and many elders, the period from the late 1980s to today is not long enough to have effected much change in this attitude, even where child molestation is concerned.

    During the 1990s the Society got hit with a number of lawsuits over their improper handling of molestation cases, and there were a number of good souls within Bethel who understood the seriousness of child molestation. These forces gradually produced better Watchtower policies for handling molestation. Sometimes there were steps back, such as a 1995(?) Watchtower article that essentially instructed elders not to put much stock in "repressed memories" of child abuse (the article never defined "repressed memories" but clearly indicated that virtually any abuse not immediately reported could be classed as a "repressed memory"), which was soon followed by instructions to bodies of elders to ignore all cases of "repressed memories". But in early 1997 the more enlightened JW leaders put out a Watchtower article stating that known child abusers could not hold positions of responsibility within a congregation ever again. This was followed by several BOE letters that generally reinforced the seriousness of properly handling child abuse cases, but unfortunately these were somewhat cancelled by another BOE letter that produced a loophole in the "no responsibility for molesters" rule. According to this, prospective elders were not to be questioned about their background in order to screen them for possibly having been molesters.

    One of the biggest loopholes in the Society's policy on child molestation is the requirement that two witnesses or a confession are required to convict someone before a judicial committee of any offense. Of course, it is the rare molester who confesses or who commits his crime in front of anyone besides the victim, so this rule effectively cuts off punishment for any molester who does not confess. However, there is one rule that elders optionally can apply here: that if there are two witnesses to two separate crimes, the elders may apply the two-witnesses rule. This has often happened with cases of smoking, where two JWs separately observe another JW smoking on two separate occasions. Unfortunately, in the case of child molestation, the Society never put out clear guidelines on how to apply the rule, so elders can do what they please. Thus, given the tendency for JWs to protect the organization along with no clear guidelines on the two-witnesses rule, the tendency has been for elders to reject claims of child abuse if two witnesses to the same act of molestation were not available. This tendency goes right to the top of the Watchtower organization, and we know it because there are JW child molesters in prison who were never disfellowshipped because the criminal never confessed and the required two witnesses to each act of molestation were not available, and Watchtower officials know about these cases and do nothing.

    By the beginning of 2001, most elders knew that their best option when confronted with a case of molestation was to call the Society's Service Department for advice. Experience has shown that this advice has not been entirely consistent, and sometimes the advice has been to ignore the molestation and let the matter drop. Some recent highly publicized cases where JW elders let a molester off the hook, such as the case of Erica Rodriguez in Washington State, show how elders and the Society have seriously screwed up in some instances. These cases also illustrate clearly how the JW rank and file will often close ranks against a victim who has quit the religion and will defend a molester who still professes to be a JW.

    Into this confusion dropped "silentlambs" at the beginning of 2001. He went public with some of the above information, and a lot more besides. The publicity has forced the Society to become much more careful in handling accusations of child abuse. An upcoming NBC Dateline program will examine some of these issues, and the threat of a clear presentation of facts on this program and via other public media is forcing the Society to do what it should have done a long time ago -- to clean up its act and deal responsibly with child molesters. Thus, at the recent Kingdom Ministry Schools for elders held in November and December, elders were instructed in no uncertain terms not to handle any accusations of molestation, recent or ancient, without first getting in touch with the Watchtower Legal Department. There is no doubt whatsoever that the negative publicity generated by "silentlambs" has forced the Society to begin to handle molestation cases more responsibly.

    Nevertheless, they still have a long ways to go in getting rid of the old attitude of protecting the holy organization at all costs. They also need to be more proactive in protecting children from known molesters, in protecting society at large from known molesters by prohibiting them from going in the door to door preaching work, in encouraging both victims and elders to actively seek the help of police, in getting known molesters out of positions of responsibility, and in informing the JW rank and file of molesters in their midst. These things are important because elders are simply incompetent to handle crimes like molestation. Furthermore, the Society's policy is still to do just the bare minimum required by law in reporting cases of molestation to the police, so that only in states that require "clergy" and so forth to report does the Legal Department instruct elders to report. In view of the Society's dismal record, this is simply not enough to reverse the attitudes created by decades of lousy policies and to turn the minds of elders and other WTS officials around and orient them towards protecting children first and their holy organization second.

    I hope this has given you a better picture of why critics are still beating their drum.

    AlanF

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    What country do you live in or if it is the USA what state?

    hawk

  • dungbeetle
    dungbeetle

    Yeah, that's a valid point. In some states there are legal reporting requirements, and if the JW's follow those rules that's a good thing.

    This is what silentlambs has been saying all along, thank you very much for backing up his claims. First they go to the elders, untrained clergy not equipped to handle something like this; then up to the watchtower legal, then back down to the elders, and finally, IF ITS A REPORTING STATE OR COUNTRY, to the police.

    So you've just said what silentlambs has been saying all along, and I thank you for that. Next up...what about his status inthe congregation? Contact with other children? Will he be disfellowshipped at least as long as some rape and molestation survivors have been? Will he have a responsible position ever.

    Thank you for backing up what silentlambs has been saying. Keep posting this stuff!!!!

    In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"

  • amccullough
    amccullough

    Puffs - My wife was molested at a young age and nothing was done. Her mother was molested and nothing was done. Her Aunt was molested and nothing was done. None of them were JWs at the time. It seems to me that these problems, as well as your family's probelems, are HUMAN problems, not WT problems. I am wide awake.

    Valis-

    amccullough You don't have to prove anything to me, but most of us who post here have heard the gammut of people claiming things, and ALWAYS declining to give details out of some privacy hang up. Even if we had the city the person was to be tried in, cases that are on a court's docket, are public record.
    Privacy...what a stupid hang up, huh? The man's name was printed in the paper. I don't deny that it can be public information. I will have no part, however, in propagating the accusations to those not involved. Not until he is convicted, and then I will freely say his name and location and tell everyone I know.

    Besides, anyone who puts themselves in a postition where they are accused of child molestation should be willing to make a public stand in thier own defense. Unless of course they are guilty and should be castrated or worse. JWs make public stances on everything else, blood, the flag, the millitary, holidays, etc..why not the fact they they aren't guilty of such a crude and offensive act?
    I have serious problems with the above quote. How does someone put themselves in this position? How can you cast any blame on somone who is innocent until proven guilty, saying that he has put himself in that position? By being a father? Does that put you in that position? By your daughter inviting friends over to stay the night? Does that put you in the position? This man IS publicly defending himself. However, even if you are innocent, an accusation like child molestation will never leave you once it is made common knowledge. That is why I prefer privacy. Do not get me wrong, I believe this man is guilty and,if so,hope he is convicted where he will be wronged himself in prison

    AlanF-
    I appreciate your response and the time you took to form it. It does shed some light on the history. Again, it seems to me that this is a HUMAN problem which the WT has inherited by being HUMANS. I am glad that it seems to be improving.

  • dungbeetle
    dungbeetle

    >I see lots of statements on this DB and others that it is WT policy to conceal these people but that has not been my personal experience<

    was reading over your post again....

    perhaps you would like to expand your personal experiences a little bit.

    J. R. Brown, the official spokesperson for the Chrsitian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, stated publicly that they DO conceal child molesters within the organization UNLESS THERE IS A LEGAL DUTY TO
    REPORT. No one excpte the three elders will be told; not the congregation, the even the molester's wife.

    What you think you've seen on the and other DB pales into insignificance I think when J. R. Brown is out there saying things like this publicly.

    In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"

  • Pork Chop
    Pork Chop

    amccullough you have to understand that if you have anything remotely positive to say about the WTBS you're required to produce a dozen certified neutral witnesses to attest to the accuracy of your statement. On the other hand, if you have something negative to say about the WTBS then it's immediately accepted by all as Gospel handed down from on high to the accompaniment of an angelic corus. The rules are relatively simple, understanding them will make it much easier for you to get along here.

    PS. I've seen exactly the same thing you witnessed on three separate occasions. Unfortunately I have no pictures, court documents or certified neutral witnesses to attest to that statement so I'm sure it will not be accepted.

  • dungbeetle
    dungbeetle

    >if you have something negative to say about the WTBS then it's immediately accepted by all as Gospel handed down from on high to the accompaniment of an angelic corus<

    I won't call you an outright liar, since you seem only to be expressing an opinion BUT:

    1) what amccullough originally posted to this thread is NOT favorable to the Watchtower, but would be a backup to what silentlambs has been saying IF IT WERE VERIFIABLE. That's his/her choice.

    2) When the silentlambs case became know, silentlambs produced a ton of evidence to back up his claims, and continues to do so until this day. Nothing is taken on faith, and besides we have good old J R Brown do most of the dirty work for us anyway, meaning the watchtower admitted to the allegations.

    3) When the Watchtower UN case broke, hawkaw, Zev, and everybody else involved obtained a ton of supporting evidence for this case, and still continue to do so today day, plus the Watchtower itself has admitted to the allegations.

    4) the rape resistance scandal, the bethel World trade center scandal, the 26 dead children on the face of an awake scandal; the Malawi and Mexico scandals....the Watchtower does the supporting evidence itself. There is no reason not to believe and jump on the bandwagon.

    And again, what you and amccullough have posted to (if you're saying you saw what amccullough saw) is only a backup of what silentlambs has been saying.

    For which I thank you both.

    In 1975 a crack team of publishers was sentenced to death by a judicial commiteee. They promptly escaped from the cult and now live life on the run. If you have a problem ... and if you can find them ... maybe you can contact the A--postate Team"

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit