Charity Commission investigates Jehovah's Witness congregation in relation to indecent assault case

by Mickey mouse 14 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  Mickey mouse

  Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses is at the centre of reports that a convicted offender was allowed to question his victims at a public meeting

  The Charity Commission has opened an operational compliance case into a Manchester-based Jehovah’s Witness congregation following concerns about how it protects vulnerable beneficiaries.

  The commission said it was in discussions with Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses after reports in the Manchester Evening News that a congregation member, Jonathan Rose, who was recently released from prison after serving nine months for the indecent of assault of two girls, was allowed to question his victims in front of congregation elders. The victims were required to recount the abuse at the meeting in order to have Rose barred from the church, the paper says.

  A spokeswoman for the commission said: "The commission has ongoing serious concerns about the Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in connection with its policies and procedures for the protection of vulnerable beneficiaries. We are engaging with the charity’s trustees about our concerns. We cannot comment further at this stage."

  The commission added that it had opened an operational compliance case into the charity.

  The charity has been registered with the commission since 1997 and had income of between £5,000 and £10,000 for each of the past five years.

  A spokesman for the Jehovah’s Witnesses told Third Sector while it did allow victims and their perpetrators to meet, this would only happen with the victim's consent and the meetings would be held in private.

  He added in a statement: "When any one of Jehovah's Witnesses is accused of serious wrongdoing, the matter is investigated. If a victim wishes to assist by providing details, this can be done in person or in writing. Victims are never forced to attend a meeting or confront an alleged perpetrator of child abuse, and indeed we have no power to do so. Any meetings are held in private and are not public. When child safeguarding is concerned, these procedures are in place to help protect children."

  <a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/tso.main/page/discipline/governance/article;di=2222;s-di=3096;s-di=3578;p-di=0;se=12098;sdi=3096;sdi=3578;pdi=0;auth=false;cid=1296113;cjc=tsn;loc=;nt=1;sc=2000;kw=charity,commission,investigates,jehovahs,witness,congregation,relation,indecent,assault,case,;p-dl=;p-cat=;p-scat=;p-mf=;lang=en-gb;tile=1;adloc=c501;sz=1x1;ord=1401276627?" target="_blank">< img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/tso.main/page/discipline/governance/article;di=2222;s-di=3096;s-di=3578;p-di=0;se=12098;sdi=3096;sdi=3578;pdi=0;auth=false;cid=1296113;cjc=tsn;loc=;nt=1;sc=2000;kw=charity,commission,investigates,jehovahs,witness,congregation,relation,indecent,assault,case,;p-dl=;p-cat=;p-scat=;p-mf=;lang=en-gb;tile=1;adloc=c501;sz=1x1;ord=1401276627?" border="0" alt="" />< /a>

  He said he was unable to comment further on the Manchester New Moston Congregation case, but said that Rose is no longer one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

  http://www.thirdsector.co.uk/Governance/article/1296113/charity-commission-investigates-jehovahs-witness-congregation-relation-indecent-assault-case/
• 

  outinthemeadows

  All their chickens are coming home to roost now aren't they?
• 

  Phizzy

  I do hope that the whole of the W.T Empire learns from this to bring themselves from their mediaeval ideas into the 21st Century, where we realise the need to deal with compassion and sensitivity when finding victims of abuse.

  The poor victims will bear the weight of their experience all their lives, the Paedophile has stolen the life they would have had, they can never get that back.

  The Paedophile has relinquished all rights that would normally be given to a "sinner" in the eyes of the WT/JW's.

  What is amazing about this, is that, who else in a J.C situation gets to interrogate his/her accusers ?

  This stinks, and the bigger the bite in the bum these Elders and the W.T get the better.
• 

  Oubliette

  This is fantastic news!
• 

  nugget

  They are lying again victims feel obliged to attend since the watchtower places so much emphasis on the 2 witness rule. There is also the issue that victims feel obliged to defend themselves from the posibility of being Disfellowshipped themselves. Perpetrators will often say the victim led them on or was culpable so they are forced to endure invasive and inappropriate questions that fix the idea that they are partly guilty for their own abuse.

  This happens in every congregation not just Manchester. If a file of evidence could be put together then the Charity Comission may take wider action.
• 

  Sol Reform

  ://www.thirdsector.co.uk/go/news/article/1298240/charity-commission-opens-statutory-inquiries-jehovahs-witnesses-governing-body-congregation/

  Charity Commission opens statutory inquiries into Jehovah's Witnesses governing body and congregation

  By Andy Ricketts, Third Sector Online, 10 June 2014

  Ibsa House, HQ of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain, in north London The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain and the Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses are investigated over safeguarding issues and trustees' compliance with the law

  The Charity Commission has opened statutory inquiries into the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and one of its congregations amid concerns about safeguarding and whether trustees have complied with charity law.

  The regulator announced last month that it had opened an operational compliance case into the Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses after it emerged that a former trustee of the charity, who served nine months in prison for the indecent of assault of two girls, was allowed to question his victims in front of congregation elders after his release.

  The commission said today that it had since then opened statutory inquiries into the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain and the Manchester congregation because of concerns about safeguarding issues and related matters.

  A spokesman for the Watch Tower Society said it would challenge the commission’s decision to open statutory inquiries into both charities at the charity tribunal.

  The commission said its inquiry into the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain would examine the charity’s handling of safeguarding matters, "including the creation, development, substance and implementation of its safeguarding policy"; the administration, governance and management of the charity; whether the charity’s trustees "have complied with and fulfilled their duties and responsibilities as trustees under charity law"; and the charity’s safeguarding advice provided to congregation charities.

  The commission said it opened a case into the charity in July last year amid concerns about its approach to safeguarding matters.

  It said its concerns had been "amplified by recent criminal cases concerning historic incidents of abuse involving individuals who appear to have been connected to Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations and/or the charity". The regulator said its inquiry into the Manchester congregation would also look at the charity’s safeguarding policy, procedures and practice; how the charity dealt with the risks to the charity and its beneficiaries; and whether the trustees of the charity had also complied with their duties under charity law.

  "The commission has serious concerns about Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, having most recently opened a case into it in December 2013," a statement from the regulator said. The statement said that the commission was not a safeguarding authority and, as such, would not investigate allegations or instances of abuse in either case.

  A statement issued by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain on behalf of it and the Manchester New Moston congregation said the commission’s decision to open statutory inquiries into both charities had been "premature".

  It said the trustees of both charities were "disappointed that the commission decided to open its investigation based on incorrect and incomplete information and without giving the trustees an opportunity to respond as the commission had agreed".

  It said that Jehovah’s Witnesses "abhor the sexual abuse of children. Our charities’ child safeguarding policy and procedures are designed to protect children and comply with the law.

  "For decades, Jehovah’s Witnesses have educated parents on how they can protect their children from sexual abuse. In these circumstances, the trustees are surprised that the Charity Commission has decided to launch an investigation into their safeguarding policy and procedures."

  The commission said 1,354 individual Jehovah’s Witness congregations were registered as charities. The Watch Tower Society had an income of £30.6m and an expenditure of £31.5m in the year to the end of August 2013.
• 

  kneehighmiah

  The most interesting thing to me is the money figures that show the WT suffering a loss of nearly 1 million pounds.
• 

  Mickey mouse

  Thanks for the update.
• 

  frankiespeakin

  I'm thinking the time for the Watchtower Corporation Charity priviledges to be removed in country after country is fast approaching. No more special treatment just because your a mind control cult masquerading as doing a charitible community service by educating people about Jehovah the corporation's sock puppet. Loose all your tax breaks and start paying taxes on all the property you now own and have sold.

  An independent New York State Revalization Act Audit required by law for all operating Nonprofit's on you're ass because they want to eliminate fraud by those claiming to be charity organization and non profits.

  Kiss all this real estate good bye you bunch of over aged turkeys/GB.
• 

  Phizzy

  How much money was sent to H.Q in America I wonder ? to contribute toward a loss ?

  I do hope the Charity Commission force the W.T here in the U.K to implement a proper programme that protects the vulnerable, both children and adults.

  Other very small Charities and Organisations have such a programme in place, not just some written "policy", but an actual working programme that makes it more or less impossible for a Paedophile or a similar Offender to perpetrate their evil within the organisations premises or activities.

  The Jehovah's Witnesses, acting upon directives from the GB in America, seem to imagine such basic procedures are not required of them.

  How long can they hide behind "we told the parents it was their responsibility" ?

  The whole W.T is disgustingly guilty of fostering and protecting Paedophilles, and of showing no love for their victims.