EmperorClass,
I disagree with your assessments. The cases I knew about were not kept secret. They were reported to the authorities. The congregation knew about the molesters & they were expelled by the congregation. The WTS does not hide the fact of what sometimes goes on in the congregation. They use that as an explanation as to why about 1% of the membership is disfellowshipped every year. You claim WTS is hiding the negative stuff. News articles, in which some claimed the WTS policies protected molesters, began, if I recall correctly, circa 1999. But we know that as far back as 1986, the WTS published in its Jan. 1986 issue several of the reasons why some were expelled, and among the list they mentioned child abuse. That does not like the WTS is hiding the facts. In the UK, in case involving 2 sisters, a WT rep from the UK stated publicly that he was sorry about what happened to them. It became public knowledge that the entire body of elders were removed from that congregation for not following WT policy. In Boston, in a case involving a boy, a WTS attorney representing the WT, openly said he was sorry about what had happened. The cases I was aware of, happen in the 1980's, which were shocking to me and the congregation. I attended a Spanish congregation, and the individual involved was from the English congregation which met in the same hall. A father had abused his teenage daughter. The mother later divorced the dog. The father was expelled, & it was reported to the authorities.I remember asking about the case and was told he just given probation by the court, and had to attend therapy sessions at some city social service unit. So people knew about it in the congregation. The other case I heard of happen in NJ; it was reported to the authorites, and members of several congregations were well aware of what had happened. Of course, the individual was expelled from the congregation. The WTS society has also written numerous articles in both the WT and Awake! regarding the issue. Dr. Rodney Stark, who's not a Jehovah's Witneses, once spoke favorably regarding the Witness policy regarding child abuse, and alluded to the many articles the WTS has written about the topic, showing the WTS proactive role in educating Witnesses and others about the problem. . Others, including some social workers, have commented favorably.
Some try to make the WTS look as bad, or worse than the Catholic Church. But since when has the Catholic expelled priests for child molesting? It is a known fact, that the Catholic church, when priests confessed to the numerous times and admitted molesting several children, that NOTHING was really done. Yes, they were sent for therapy sessions. But their position as priests were maintained since the Catholic Church believed in the eternity of the priesthood. I found similar stories in spanish papers, regarding pastors, from evangelical and pentecostal churches, that were involved in abusing children. When they confessed, nothing practically nothing was done. Some remained as pastors!! Members believed they were saved anyway. One book focusing on Tony Levya, a notorious pentecostal minister and pedophile, contains the unbelievable story of how members would forgive him, when he said he would not do it again-even after repeating the same story line again.
Now WTS policy was the first religious organization to state that no man can be an elder if he has abused a child. Any elder involved in molesting in young child can never be an elder again. They are among the few, unlike the Catholic Church and others, to expel unrepentant molesters. Unlike, what some claim, parents can report any molestation cases to the authorities. True, the elders may not be to disfellowship one on basis of one witness. However, when an accused is taken to court, and additional evidence comes to light such as DNA evidence, they can immediately expel the individual. DNA evidence can be used as a second witness. Their policy may not be perfect, but it sure as hell much better than the policy followed by most churches.
