Let's Keep The E-Focus on Barbara's CD - Important

by AK - Jeff 49 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  AK - Jeff

  Good points, Trev. And how could this, be construed as complete cooperation with the authorities;

  However, these policies were designed to prevent cooperation with secular investigators. For instance, when an elder called the Legal Department he would be asked what state he lived in. If that state required clergy to report child abuse to law enforcement, a recommendation was made that the elder make an anonymous call from a telephone booth. No doubt this was done so that law enforcement authorities would be unable to contact them for more information.

  They don't want to cooperate - they just want to avoid being labeled as non-cooperative. They likely have masses of evidence and statements that the officials could use to put justice to the perp, but this will never be seen by the authorities. SO, they kind of turn them in, but reluctantly, only in the places where the law stipulates it as required, and then only anonymously from a phone booth at times. Everything short of total non cooperation is evident here.

  Jeff
• 

  minu

  However, these policies were designed to prevent cooperation with secular investigators. For instance, when an elder called the Legal Department he would be asked what state he lived in. If that state required clergy to report child abuse to law enforcement, a recommendation was made that the elder make an anonymous call from a telephone booth. No doubt this was done so that law enforcement authorities would be unable to contact them for more information.

  They don't want to cooperate - they just want to avoid being labeled as non-cooperative. They likely have masses of evidence and statements that the officials could use to put justice to the perp, but this will never be seen by the authorities. SO, they kind of turn them in, but reluctantly, only in the places where the law stipulates it as required, and then only anonymously from a phone booth at times. Everything short of total non cooperation is evident here.

  Those F*&%krs. Makes me sick to my stomache.
• 

  dedpoet

  They most definitely don't want to cooperate with the authorities, and
  any cooperation is given grudgingly when a case has been reported
  to the police by the victim, and the elders have no other choice.

  For cults like the watchtower, child abuse is a problem without a
  solution I'm afraid, and will be for as long as they hold their public
  image in higher regard than the safety of children within their
  congregations.

  Despite all the evidence to the contrary, they still seem to regard
  child abuse as more of a sin than a crime, which is clearly flawed
  logic on their part. We all know that their "cure" for sin is to pray
  more, study more, preach more etc, as if such acts would stop
  a paedophile. While they persist with this policy, there is no hope
  of reform in the watchtower, and their already-serious problems
  regarding child abuse will only get worse.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  I must 'step out' for a bit, but hope that this topic stays alive.

  Jeff
• 

  BizzyBee

  In my most recent encounter with JW's at my door last week, I mentioned the pedo issue to the elder-type who waved his Bible at me for 20 minutes.

  His consistent response was, "That little child could be lying. A man could be sent to prison on the word of a child."

  I said, "But what if that child is telling the truth?"

  He said, "But what if that child is lying?"

  He just couldn't seem to get his head wrapped around the concept of child sexual abuse as a reality. I think part of the brain-washing on this topic is that it is blown out of proportion due to a lot of children lying, which makes it so much harder to prove it to the average insulated JW. They are in denial.
• 

  Sarah Smiles

  Too bad that Jehovah's Witness parents go along with such garbage in any state!

  How can a victim have two witnesses watching such an act! It really does fall on the parents to protect their children no matter what an organization claims! I know that parents are manipulated and controlled by the WTBTS not to press charges, but it still is the parents job to protect their children not any organization.
• 

  Sarah Smiles

  However, these policies were designed to prevent cooperation with secular investigators. For instance, when an elder called the Legal Department he would be asked what state he lived in. If that state required clergy to report child abuse to law enforcement, a recommendation was made that the elder make an anonymous call from a telephone booth. No doubt this was done so that law enforcement authorities would be unable to contact them for more information.

  Elders really do not want to get involved so they have to make anonymous phone calls! Shame on them, most of them are probably parents! Err! WTBTS has too much control over peoples minds and it really make me mad. Not even the elders can think for themselves to do what is right in God's eyes!
• 

  V

  marked for reference
• 

  dedpoet

  How can a victim have two witnesses watching such an act! It really does fall on the parents to protect their children no matter what an organization claims! I know that parents are manipulated and controlled by the WTBTS not to press charges, but it still is the parents job to protect their children not any organization

  I fully agree with you Sarah, the parents need to take action when their
  child is abused, whatever the elders say, but you know as well as I do
  the level of control exerted by the org on its' members. What would appear
  inconceivable to most people is made to seem quite natural to a member
  of a cult, even when it endangers the safety of a child.

  Hopefully now that the full extent of how much the org has tried to cover
  up the extent of its' child abuse problem is gradually being exposed in
  the media, more parents will report these crimes to the authorities
  more qualified to deal with them rather than the congregation elders.
  Knowing how good the org are at making such reports appear to be
  persecution against them though, I fear that many jws will continue
  to take the elder route, thus exposing more children to danger.
• 

  bluesapphire

  Some of this doesn't make sense to me. Can someone explain?

  Okay, why bother reporting it to the authorities from a phone booth at all? I mean if no one knows who is reporting it because it's done anonymously, then why even do it? No one can prove they complied with the law or not.

  And if they do report it anonymousely, what do they say? Do they give a congregation name, place, perpetrator or victim names, etc.? How is this "complying" with the law in any way shape or form unless they DO give names? And if they DO give names, why can't the police act on that?

  It's no different than my being a mandated reporter working for an elementary school. As a mandated reporter, I cannot just call anonymously. I have to give my name and all the information I know or I am not following the law. So how are they complying if they are doing it anonymously? Why bother calling at all if they are not complying with the law anyway?