The letter leaked today on "confidentiality" had an infurating set of paragraphs on suicides, attempted suicides, and threatened suicides. Here is the excerpt.
SUICIDES AND ATTEMPTED OR THREATENED SUICIDES
20. At times, judicial committees may deal with someone who is so distraught that he attempts
or threatens to commit suicide. In such cases it may be best for the committee to suspend the
hearing and focus on helping the person to regain his balance. In any event, the elders should treat
the person with extreme thoughtfulness and kindness.—ks10 chap. 5 par. 4; chap. 6 par. 16.
Really? "it may be best"? Ya think so? Here a person is facing shunning from all of their family and friends for an unknown period of time based on breaking one of the hundreds of WT rules out there. Yet the best the WTS can do is say "it may be best" to suspend the hearing, and "be nice to that crazy person"? How about an automatic 30 day suspension of any congregational action when a person is at the brink of killing themselves? Oh wait, gotta keep the congo clean now don't we? Who cares if a few sinners off themselves because of they don't know how to deal with an abusive, star-chamber hearing where they aren't even allowed to have a supporting witness, let alone an attorney or audio recorder?
The next paragraph is even worse...
21. In addition, elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal direction
whenever they learn of an actual suicide, a threatened suicide, or an attempted suicide, since legally
this is also defined as self-murder or felo-de-se. Whether a family member or close friend with
knowledge of the suicide threat or suicide attempt reports it to authorities is a personal decision for
him to make. (Gal. 6:5) Elders should not discourage anyone from reporting the matter. Family
members who are aware of the suicide threat or attempt should be encouraged to take positive steps
to prevent the person from harming himself.
Here they go into full child-molester protection model, with their "personal decision" bullshit. Wouldn't the typical clergy member of "Christendom" get that person some help? SOME REAL HELP NOW! Like driving them to a real mental health facility, or calling the authorities at least! I have zero doubts that the average pastor/priest/minister would stay with that person until they had 100% assurance that the danger had passed, and that they were in the capable hands of a mental health professional.
But your local elder body? Hell NO! Instead, its the old "hands off" routine. Sure if the person wants to get help, thats fine by us. Or we will even tell family to take care of your suicidal nut case. But we aren't going to do a damn thing about it except CALL THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
In fact, I just searched CALL THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT in that document, it appears 14 TIMES. Recommendations to call the police? Only when someone is disruptive at the meetings, or when you can't harass people in your obnoxious door to door ministry. NOT ONE TIME IS IT RECOMMENDED TO CALL POLICE REGARDING ANY WRONGDOING OR PROBLEM INVOLVING A JW in that letter.