Can't see this having been mentioned already - forgive me if I missed it and it is old news.
Velicia Alston brings lawsuit against Watchtower (Irwin Zalkin representing):
New Child Abuse Lawsuit
by maksutov 13 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse
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maksutov
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John Aquila
He said there have been 15 lawsuits throughout the country. I had heard there was hundreds? Which is it, 15 or hundreds? -
goingthruthemotions
HI John,
he stated that it was the 15th they have files. so what i gather from that comment is, this is just from his firm. that is huge for one firm to have 15 lawsuits against the cult.
imagine all the other firms who are handeling lawsuits agains JW's. Imagine how many more victims are now getting courage to speak because of the these lawsuits and the ARC.
I have two wishes from these lawsuits:
1. More and more people awake from the cult
2. my wife wakes from the cult.
i truely despise the cult!!!!!!!!!
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problemaddict 2
I don't mean for this to sound wrong, but I am interested in the specifics of her situation and her case.
Another brave woman steps forward.
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John Aquila
goingthruthemotions
i truely despise the cult!!!!!!!!!I don't blame you. It is going down, just not as fast as we would like.
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wifibandit
This looks like it is from December 2014. http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/12/jehovahs_witnesses_under_fire.html
Does anyone know if there are new details?
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Giordano
That's a very moving clip....thank you Matsutov for sharing that.
She is revealing something that has been too difficult to continue to live with and risking being shunned by her parents and family.
Every case that goes to trail exposes more and more people to the dark side of the JW world.
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Giordano
Oregon – Plaintiffs want child molestation case heard by federal court
Lawyers representing the Watchtower Society, want a child molestation case filed in Oregon in December 2014, to be heard in federal court. It is unclear why, but it may be so that the statute of limitations can be used in an attempt to block abuse survivors being heard.
On March 25, 2015, the organization filed a “notice of removal” in Multnomah County Circuit Court to have the case processed in federal district court, where it is presently pending.
On Monday April 6, 2015, the plaintiff’s legal team plan to file a request to remand the case back to state court.
Kristian Roggendorf of Roggendorf Law in Lake Oswego is serving as local counsel alongside the Zalkin Law Firm. They are representing the plaintiffs Velicia Alston and an unnamed man who is using the pseudonym “John Roe.”
Daniel Castellanos, a ministerial servant in the North Hillsboro Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, allegedly molested the plaintiffs in 1986 and 1987.
The court papers claim Castellanos fondled Velicia Alston under her clothes during piano lessons he taught at his house. She told her mother, who then spoke to the congregation elders who told her to remain quiet, and not to go to the police.
The lawsuit asks for over $5 million damages for Alston.
Castellano also allegedly abused Roe, then 8 to 10 years old. “The abuse included fondling and masturbation of [Roe’s] genitals both above and beneath his clothing.”
Attorneys are also seeking over $5 million damages for the plaintiff Roe.
Castellanos was “disfellowshipped” by the congregation elders for three years and was then re-instated as a member.
Irwin Zalkin said at a press conference at the time of the first filing, in December, “the problem is, the leaders never informed the congregation why he was punished, so now no one but the elders can ever know that there is a child predator lurking in that congregation.”
The lawsuit also claims that Castellanos sexually abused other Jehovah’s Witnesses children during the same period and that the defendants failed to report him to the police or warn other parents, even after learning of the abuse.
Oregon state law allows alleged victims of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits up until age 40 or within five years of when they realize the damaging effect the abuse has had on their lives.
Velicia Alston was 39 at the time of the lawsuit’s original filing.
Velicia said, she chose to use her name and speak to reporters at the press conference held in December 2014, because she wants to give victims a voice.
She said even though she may be shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses for speaking out and filing a civil case she hopes that the leadership will change the policies that allow perpetrators to be hidden within congregations.
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wifibandit
Thank you Giordano! -
maksutov
Sorry - didn't realise this was an old-ish case - the video was only uploaded yesterday and I hadn't heard of it, but I should've googled it before posting really.
