Just In: CP 5PM Feb. 6 Disclosing CDN Abuse Files

by reporter 50 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Hey .. we made the AP brief wire for Canada with this story and here it is in the Calgary Sun

    http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Law/2003/02/06/21629-cp.html

    Apparently we had a "bitch'n headline in the Windsor Star and made it in the "briefs" for the Kitchner-waterloo "The Record".

    God damn ... god damn ...

    hawk

    Edited by - hawkaw on 10 February 2003 10:45:17

  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    It was in the Regina Leader-Post on Friday.

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Running man ever hear of the case Regina v. Karchut that was heard in a Sask. court?

    Except Karchut's intials would have been used because of the minors involved?

    I ask because the "criminal case" finished off at or near the end of September. CBC had too much stuff or they would have used that case.

    Of course Mr. Karchut was found guilty and sentenced. Elders did help in that case unlike in Moss' case but the first victim was not reported to authories. It was only when a second victim came forward did the elders report.

    Interesting case from what I know about it. All are still JWs in good standing from what I know.

    hawk

  • RunningMan
    RunningMan

    I would love to get more info on that case, Hawkaw.

    I knew Alex Karchut for many years. I grew up in the congregation next to his (a mere 30 miles away). He is currently living in Regina with his son and attends the same hall as I do (different cong, though).

    Alex was df'd. I'm not sure if he's reinstated yet. If not, he is working toward it.

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Newspapers carrying the article last week .... also in the Calgary Sun and there was a small piece in the Kitchener-Waterloo paper...

    Ex-Witnesses press church to disclose sex abuse files The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within its... Montreal Gazette - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 85 words

    Jehovah's Witnesses won't make list public TORONTO (CP) -- The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within... The Leader-Post (Regina) - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 592 words

    Jehovah's Witnesses won't disclose abuse files TORONTO - The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within its... The Standard (St. Catharines) - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 283 words

    Church pressed to come clean on clean-cut image: Former Jehovah's Witnesses want abuse files disclosed TORONTO - The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within its... The Telegram (St. John's) - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 720 words

    Former Witnesses press abuse probe TORONTO (CP) -- The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within... The Guardian (Charlottetown) - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 206 words

    Sect won't release molesters' list; Jehovah's Witnesses won't divulge names, despite pleas The Canadian wing of the Jehovah's Witnesses is standing its ground against a group of disgruntled former members who want the church to release a list of known child molesters within its ranks. - Windsor Star - Fri, Feb 7, 2003 - 648 words

    Source: http://www.infomart.ca

    hawk

    Edited by - hawkaw on 10 February 2003 15:43:2

  • expatbrit
    expatbrit

    Gotta love those headlines...lol

    Expatbrit

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Running man ... I just Emailed you

    Exp .... I just got off the phone with my Windsor buddy .... with out a word of a lie the headline in the Windsor Star was on the front section of the Canadian/Nation section. It was brutal .....

    hawk

    Edited by - hawkaw on 10 February 2003 15:47:29

  • Scully
    Scully

    Wow...... those headlines are just ***nasty***. Sure makes the WTS look stupid, from a public image point of view.

    I wonder how Saturday morning service was??? (heh heh heh)

    Love, Scully

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Has anyone posted The Sault Star's editorial????? on McCarten's article?. A very kind gentleman who I cannot name alerted me to it and another very kind gentleman who I can name ... Bill Bowen Emailed me the link. Thanks guys. Here let me give the url to you guys ...

    http://www.saultstar.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=21925

    Report abuse to police

    Sault Star staff Saturday, February 08, 2003 - 09:00 Editorials - The sincerity and basic goodness of an awful lot of Jehovah's Witnesses is going to be unfairly questioned because of a gross lapse by their church elders.

    Acknowledging that church records contain allegations about members molesting children, the Canadian wing is resisting a call by former Witnesses to release names and allow police to investigate.

    Clive Thomas, spokesman for the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada Ltd., the church's governing body, says that child welfare authorities are notified when abuse is suspected. It's up to those authorities to notify police if they feel its necessary, he said.

    Those authorities must indeed automatically get police involved when sexual abuse of children is alleged. However, that doesn't absolve this church or any other church of notifying police as soon as any such allegations surface.

    Thomas says child welfare authorities are notified because that's required by law, but the church itself isn't legally obliged to disclose the names of known or suspected abusers to police. For a religion that focuses so strongly on obeying the laws of God rather than the laws of man, that's some pretty fancy legal hair-splitting.

    Even if there is nothing in state statutes or in the Bible that expressly orders everyone to notify police of child sex abuse allegations, that has to be about as obvious a moral requirement as you will ever find. It shouldn't have to be expressly stated anywhere.

    Incidents such as sexual abuse are handled internally by councils of church elders who decide what should be done. That can continue, as far as religious repercussions are concerned. But it is not sufficient. All people of good will have a moral obligation to report such allegations to police so that any damaging behaviour is stopped.

    Jehovah's Witnesses have a particular interest in this, since chances are that their own children are at greatest risk. However, the community as a whole has a legitimate interest because in addition to protecting Witness children - already more than sufficient cause for general concern and involvement - every child of every faith is in danger when a sexual predator is on the loose.

    Silentlambs, a U.S.-based group of ex-Witnesses and abuse survivors, says the church's international headquarters in New York City has files on nearly 24,000 known child molesters. Even if the actual number were a small fraction of that in the U.S. and Canada, those names should be turned over immediately to investigators to assure that any abuse has not been allowed to continue or expand.

    As part of their religious beliefs, Witnesses proselytize door-to-door. Such scandal, and hypocrisy on the part of church leaders, is going to make it that much harder to even get people to hear their message, less say convert.

    If the welfare of children is not enough, the church has to change its stance if members hope to be as effective as they can saving the souls of others and thereby their own.

    That being said, everyone must acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of Witnesses are good people, devout in their faith and fine parents and neighbours. No one should use this failure by leaders as license to abuse the rank and file who sincerely follow their conscience.

    Edited by - hawkaw on 11 February 2003 15:15:0

  • hawkaw
    hawkaw

    Editorial PING

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