Hello friends,
After receiving a letter at my home calling me for a "judicial audience" after having quit 5 years ago the JW, I decided to go to the police and talk about the policy within JW.org: social abuse, judicial threats and in my case sexual abuses.
A national newspaper in Spain www.elperiodico.es has decided to give visibility to this situation.
Please find the first link:
We set up an email (only for Spanish speaking audience) to help anybody who was in the same situation: [email protected]. Any information or experience will be shared with this newspaper in order to give more visibility
Spanish: http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/sociedad/los-testigos-jehova-quieren-juzgar-por-adulterio-5416455
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Translation: https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=es&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=es&tl=en&u=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/sociedad/los-testigos-jehova-quieren-juzgar-por-adulterio-5416455&usg=ALkJrhhzZnjrLA7dJAKCuW6Ye7v_j0KXZQ
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Translation by Google Translator:
"Jehovah's Witnesses want to judge me for adultery"
A former member of the religious organization denounces harassment and summon him to an internal trial
Miguel Garcia suspected that the confession pursues him in the background because he has a homosexual relationship
FERRAN NADEU
Miguel García explains his complaint against Jehovah's Witnesses.
"We get in touch with you (...) because he has had sex outside marriage. For this reason we quote him for a court hearing, it is our theocratic responsibility. " With these words begins the letter that the French Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cardedeu sent this man of 43 years ceased to be a member of this community "about five years".
This document, which confirms the existence of parallel trialsdevotees of confession is "strange , " said Miguel Garcia, for the book "Shepherd the Flock '-of exclusively for elders who lead the congregaciones- detailing how to form a "judicial committee" and clarifies that it must "cited the defendant orally". It adds that if "a journalist or a lawyer" question from these lawsuits should not "provide any information or confirm their existence."
THE CONGREGATION IS deny
This newspaper has contacted one of the three elders who have cited Miguel Garcia for trial on Monday 26 September. As dictated by the book entry, the old man has denied most. "First news," he responded.After learning that appear with your name signing the letter of invitation, he acknowledged that the trial did exist. This session was to be held at the Kingdom Hall of Cardedeu His local- because it is a "theocratic framework" that "instills greater respect in the present."
"They're trying to rideme a parallel court, as a court of honor, something totally illegal"
"Failure" of the three elders, according to the text, has for the accused "lasting and large - scale consequences." Offenses included in such serious Criminal Code as murder,rape and sexual abuse of minors or made even punishable as smoking or getting drunk deserve the celebration of these judgments.
Miguel Garcia was separated from his wife to leave confession and four years later formally divorced. To "liberate" his wife, he wrote a letter in which he explained that he had a new relationship. Thus, she could get the "biblical divorce" and remarrying. Garcia suspected that currently have a homosexual relationship has motivated the background is called court hearing for adultery. It is, says Garcia, a "homophobic" community, and as proof refers to a video of domestic production .
PUNITIVE IF THERE DURESS
Legal sources emphasize that holding such parallel to the existing legislation has "no validity" judgments. And that would be something "punishable" if it were shown that there are constraints to force and comply undergo these punishments imposed. Usually, it is a public reprimand or expulsion directly confession. This second is traumatic when it suffers a member of a family of the same creed because thereafter should restrict the relationship with other relatives.
"I ended up with an anxiety attack. I was admitted to a hospital and stood there. I had to ask the nurses to not let them go"
In May 2014, the Minister of Justice of Finland, Anna-Maija Henriksson, warned that "no room" in the country "for two judicial systems" . He did so after 18 former members of Jehovah's Witnesses denounced the existence of these judicial committees with the capacity to condemn the "ostracism" the accused.
TO THE MOSSOS
Miguel Garcia says that leaving the organization almost five years ago was "harassed" by his former teammate. "I ended up suffering an anxiety attack, I was admitted to the hospital and stood there. I had to ask the nurses not to let them in," he recalls.
On April 19, 2014 sent them a burofax to require that lawenforcement protection of personal data erase all information concerning him. They answered and said documents, they would stay with their data because he kept on file consisting as "baptized member."
After receiving the summons for trial, he has reported to the Mossos to Jehovah's Witnesses harassment, for refusing to delete personal data and cover up sexual abuse he suffered in a congregation of Belgium, and has taken legal action for moral damages.
Aníbal Matos, a spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses, admitted the existence of these judicial committees but said that "not mandatory" nor "punishments are imposed." It is only interventions to "give biblical guidance" to members of a congregation.
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covert sexual abuse
The complainant relates to the Mossos that Jehovah's Witnesses urged him to silence the attacks he suffered when he was younger
FERRAN NADEU
Miguel Garcia says he suffered sexual abuse of minor but Jehovah's Witnesses was asked to denounce them.
RICARD FADRIQUE
Headquarters of the French congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Cardedeu, the last one that belonged Miguel Garcia.
Miguel Garcia was born a Jehovah 's Witness. It ceased to be when they turn 38 years. Or would stop being so. Now 43 and has gone to the Mossos to denounce the harassment that has suffered since taking the decision to abandon this Christian confession . In this complaint he has revealed something else: he suffered repeated sexual abuse by a member of this community.
Ensures that happened when I was 16, about 1990. Then he belonged to a Spanish - speaking congregation that this creed is in Brussels (Belgium). The assailant was a man who kept "a good relationship" with his family and which was "normal" to stay "alone"."I did everything, but there was no penetration," he explained during his interview with the newspaper. At 19, already in Spain, he told the elders of a congregation of Castellar del Vallès he had lived. " They organized a hearing" and the three elders urged him to give "full details".
At the end, he was promised he would receive "spiritual support" but asked him not to file charges, although asegua I made it clear that there were more victims of the same sex offender. "Do not let us bring disgrace to our community , " were the words he heard in 1993.
"Do not let us bring disgrace to our community , " she says Garcia told him when he revealed sexual abuse
Garcia is convinced that the elderly noted all the information provided at that session-their personal data, the alleged pederast and sexual-abuse and introduced in an envelope. "They kept the original in the archives of the congregation and sent a copy to the headquarters in Madrid," he maintains. He also detailed the Mossos that there are more reports like yours in other Spanish congregations also have been reported.
IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE
Aníbal Matos, a spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in Spain - a company with 8.5 million devotees worldwide, 115,000 in Spain and 32,000 in Catalunya- only has adamantly denied that this community has self - managed cases of sexual abuse they have occurred within this religious organization.
"Witnesses respect the law and we have never concealed sexual abuse of a minor or covered any pederast", he noted. Matos has also denied the existence of an alleged file that stores the hypothetical cases of child abuse. "There is no because it would go against the law of protection of personal data," he remarked.
The spokesman, who has himself admitted the existence of court hearings staged by three elders of each congregation (although remarked that are only to give "biblical counseling" to those who need it) wanted to stress that in any case the action of a internal tribunal "excludes" the action of ordinary justice. Should be the elderly themselves "those who give way" to inform authorities before each case.
INTERNAL DOCUMENT
Miguel Garcia, during his interview with this newspaper, has provided a supposed internal document which he said was issued from the national headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Madrid and that is dated August 1, 2016. The "matter" in question is "protection of children against abuse".
Paragraph 20 of this document, addressed to the elders of each congregation, says "persons related documents on which weighs an allegation of sexual abuse of minors (...) should be stored in an envelope with your name and the annotation 'Do not destroy'. The envelope will be retained indefinitely in the confidential file of the congregation. "
Strong in the fight #neveragain