by JHK 14 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
Teachers, social workers who work with children and councillors could face up to five years in prison if they turn a blind eye to child abuse under proposals to be set out on Tuesday by David Cameron. [...]
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/mar/03/david-cameron-child-abuse-ignore-jail
But does this include churches or other religious organizations. ?
This is one area that needs to be regulated and governed over.
Cameron believes his plan to extend the offence of wilful neglect beyond the health service and adult social care sector to a far wider group of public service workers will send out a message that child abuse can no longer be regarded as a second order issue by public service workers. He hopes the reforms will herald a culture change and come close to meaning that public service workers would lose criminal immunity if they failed to report or act on clear evidence of abuse.
That's cool. Now the next step is to question why family members who know of the abuse aren't held to the same standard.
Anybody - including mothers and grandmothers - who knows a child is being abused and fails to report it, should be charged right along with the abuser.
Far too often, when I hear and read stories from survivors who were raped by their fathers, they speak of the mother knowing the abuse was going on. In those cases, the mothers should also be charged.
What states in the US have mandatory reporting by clergy?
It should apply to everyone. I cannot think of any possible reason why leaving a child to suffer should ever be excusable.
Anyone claiming that they should be exempt should face an immediate investigation to find out why they are so afraid of it - they are obviously already blind to abuse or intend to be so in future.
Simon: It should apply to everyone. I cannot think of any possible reason why leaving a child to suffer should ever be excusable.
In Canada (except for the Yukon), mandatory reporting is required by everyone. Every single Canadian citizen is responsible for reporting suspected child abuse.
Mandatory reporting policies have been put in place for most professions, but...the legal statutes of Canada concerning the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse applies to everybody.
In regards to the WTS. what this organization should do in these situations is go through a investigation on their own and determine if local police authorities should be called in for their own investigation. In the mean time that person should be placed on private reproof , and all privileges within the congregation are temporarily withheld until the outcome of the police investigation.
That is the responsible approach to dealing with situations of pedophilia in JW congregations.
If that person wants to later return after being charged with this crime (note not a sin) then it should be announced that this person has in the past has had this problem. At least then people there can determine how involved they want their own children to associate with this individual , placing the decision with themselves.
Just yesterday in Australia, a leading church official has been charged for not REPORTING things he may have simply heard about! (he was not the abuser, but should have acted to report abuse he heard of)
So, by this precedent, I know of at least THREE elders who should face jail time for actively discouraging the reporting of incestuous activities in one family from our area! (back in the 1980's / 90's)
The father was abusing his own two daughters, yet the police were NEVER informed!! The mother was told by those elders to "leave it within the cong!"
Finkelstein: In regards to the WTS. what this organization should do in these situations is go through a investigation on their own and determine if local police authorities should be called in for their own investigation.
I disagree.
Nobody inside the WTS/JWs - nobody - should initiate an investigation.
All cases of suspected child abuse should be reported to the authorities. The WTS is not an authority - they only think they are. It is not up to anybody except the proper authorities to determine if abuse has happened. Investigation by the WTS or their representative entities should never enter into the picture. They are not qualified to conduct an investigation of any kind, and their investigative practices only lead to harming the victim further.
