Article- Child checks for all religious leaders, inquiry recommends

by AndersonsInfo 24 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

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  Scully

  I have to wonder, since one has to be approved as an Unbaptized Publisher™ before they can qualify for Baptism™, this screening process will apply to people who wish to be Baptized™, before they even go through the Baptism Questions™ with the Elders™.

  I don't see how it would apply to UBM (Unbelieving Mates™) though. They generally don't participate in the Ministry™ and are not considered Ministers™ or even one of Jehovah's Witnesses, per se; though they do have access to children at Meetings™ and at social functions where children are likely present. Parents likely discourage close contact with UBMs anyway.
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  Mephis

  I think there may need to be a judgement made somewhere along the line on whether or not treating children as adults (as they are by JWs rather than eg having them in a Sunday School or having child specific activities, they actively baptise minors and even have rules on how best to shun them as they would an adult) counts as more than incidental to the role of the 'religious leaders' within a congregation. On first glance, I'm really not sure, although the report also makes clear that supervised contact makes no difference to the requirement to have the checks done.

  (in Britain, they don't meet the current requirements to have the equivalent checks done)
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  Pubsinger

  They will try to say this doesn't apply to them as they don't have 'children's work'

  They will resist/refuse to do it because despite everything Geoffrey Jackson said they still have no concept of 'Best Practise' and they still think they are above the law.

  While I deplore Jackson's motives in making the statement (a backhanded insinuation that it was the authorities fault) I agree with him that the ONLY thing which will get them to change is MANDATORY REPORTING.
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  AFRIKANMAN

  http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/db91b479-ff88-46dc-a1bd-8425ea5a0944/Working-with-Children-Checks-Report
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  Room 215

  It seemed to me that during his testimony, Jackson broadly hinted of his tacit approval if the government would moot the issue by ordering mandatory reporting.