Jehovah cult kicked me out - but not the man who raped me,' victim claims

defender of truth

Positions of trust
A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman said: “We have tried to educate families to try and educate and protect their children, so that children can protect themselves if they find themselves in a situation.”
If Jehovah’s were found to have abused someone “if they are in a position of trust they would no longer have a position of trust.”
Asked why about the claims Sewell had not been kicked out of the Jehovah’s the spokesman insisted “we can’t comment on specific situations.”
“We don’t give out personal information,” he said.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/jehovah-cult-kicked-out---8891636

defender of truth

In case anyone doesn't know, Karen Morgan wrote this article about the landmark court case in the UK. Here's a relevant quote from it..

"There are so many similarities between this case and the case I am involved in.
I actually requested an apology from my local body of elders and didn’t even get a response.
I just wanted them to say sorry for sitting me in front of my abuser and making me say what he had done to me.
I then tried to get an apology from London Bethel instead, and I was flatly told that Bethel doesn’t apologise!
I find this quite bizarre since Jehovah’s Witnesses are encouraged to say sorry and repent when they make mistakes.
If I had received an apology and assurance that steps would be taken to ensure children would be more protected in future, I too would never have considered taking legal action."

http://jwsurvey.org/child-abuse-2/landmark-uk-high-court-case-against-watchtower-could-make-history

defender of truth

Sewell not 'defellowshipped'

The 39-year-old alleges Sewell still has not been “disfellowshipped” despite being jailed for 14 years last year. A Jehovah’s spokesman refused to deny this.

“Even if an abuser admits it, as long as they repent, they might not get any discipline at all,” Karen said.

“If they say, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again’ they are left alone and the congregation is never told.”

Guilty of eight sex offences

Sewell was found guilty of eight sex offences including a rape that left his adult victim pregnant and the sex abuse of a 12-year-old girl.

“In some cases an abuser might be disfellowshiped for three years but then brought back,” Karen said.

“But no-one is told why he was disfellowshipped.”

Church elder Mark Sewell, 53, was jailed for 14 years at Merthyr Crown Court for sexually abusing women worshippers

Sewell was once kicked out for drunkenness and a bad attitude. He was then welcomed back.

“Even though he has been found guilty of sex abuse he has still not been disfellowshipped,” Karen said.

“He is still a witness. I know he’s been writing to Jehovah’s Witnesses because I have been told.”

“I have asked why he has not been disfellowshipped and they have not been able to give me an answer,” Karen, who was a member of the Barry congregation, said.

'It's a cult'

“The only answer I have had is ‘These things take time.’”

Karen was disfellowshipped as a teen because her boyfriend was not a Witness.

“I never went back and I am still disfellowshipped,” she said.

If she is in the street she is ignored by Witnesses.

“They won’t talk to me,” Karen said.

“But they are allowed to talk to him.

“That’s how stupid that rule is.”

Karen said she asked the Barry Elders for a letter of apology for not believing her about Sewell. She has not had one.

Legal action

Karen and another Jehovah’s sex attack victim are attempting to sue the institution for what happened. The religion has already paid out millions of dollars in the US after being swamped in scandals.

“All I ever wanted them to do was say sorry,” Karen said.

“Why don’t they just apologise? They are supposed to believe in the bible.”

When articles about her were shared on the internet she was dubbed “an apostate.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/jehovah-cult-kicked-out---8891636

gone for good

'' ...jehovah cult...'' - yep- I like her style!

'' ...there were 12 elders, and not one of them stood up...''' - yep - gutless, ass kissing bullies, to a man!

flipper

Disgusting. Once again a pedophile gets to remain a JW inside the congregation in good standing as the WT Society puts it's own judgments of a person's character above the laws of the land. Amazing, very dangerous

Crazyguy

Bethel doesn't apologize, yep that's the real truth!!!

Mad Irishman

It doesn't quite make sense, because if you have been convicted of molesting/raping more than one person that automatically shows you cannot be repented.

So this guy was never disfellowshipped at all? Something seems missing in this story.

truthseekeriam

@ Mad Irishman

You would be surprised by what they get away with! Your right it doesn't make sense at all.

We went trough the same thing....molester was convicted of molesting multiple victims and guess what? Yup. He went to prison still a JW.

I would make calls to the elders asking why and would get nothing but excuses that made absolutely no sense. Two year passed before we finally heard he was disfellowshipped and not one of the elders called us to let us know...we heard it through the grapevine.

Vidiot

The more they're criticized, the tighter they hold on to their policies ('cause they'd rather gargle with bleach than be seen capitulating to their opponents)...

The tighter they hold on to their policies, the worse they look...

The worse they look, the more they're criticized...

The more they're criticized, the tighter they hold on to their policies...

And so on, and so on...

defender of truth

"It doesn't quite make sense, because if you have been convicted of molesting/raping more than one person that automatically shows you cannot be repented.So this guy was never disfellowshipped at all? Something seems missing in this story."

Mad Irishman, did you not know that elders only act if there are two witnesses to an incident?

All this man has to do is claim that he did not commit any of the offences.

Someone could be a convicted rapist and murderer, but if he doesn't admit to the elders that he committed the offence, and no 'second victim' comes forward and tells the elders that something was done to them, no congregational action will be taken.

Nobody in that congregation will know that they have a serial abuser sat among them.

That is what happens when you insist on sticking to a rigid 'two witnesses to any incident or it didn't happen' policy.

Jehovah cult kicked me out - but not the man who raped me,' victim claims

Sewell not 'defellowshipped'

Guilty of eight sex offences

'It's a cult'

Legal action

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