Translation of a Danish Newspaper article by Morten Nøhr Mortensen, B.T., of December 11, 2001
Jehovah’s Witnesses Threaten us to Silence
Incest victims are shaken: Jehovah’s Witnesses acquit their father, and the police drop prosecution.
A 72-year-old former poultry dresser from Denmark is accused of baby-killing and of repeated molestation of two daughters and a grandchild.Now, however, everything looks like the 72-year-old member of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be let off police prosecution as well as reprisals from Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The police have dropped the homicide trial due to the insufficiency of the evidence. The molestation of the two daughters has become statute-barred and the case concerning the grandchild turned out to be weak as regards evidence, as the only evidence will be the testimony of the 20-year-old girl. Therefore the Danish police has recently dropped this case, too, due to the insufficiency of the evidence, according to information from Deputy Chief of Police Lise-Lotte Bell.
At the same time the Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses has just announced that they do not intend to disfellowship the 72-year-old Witness from the denomination.
The brother of the two abused daughters is shaken by the fact that the case is not even given a chance in court.
"We are all very disappointed. Both in Jehovah’s Witnesses and in the authorities. How will such a case be settled and the man punished if the prosecution cannot be based on the testimony of the victim. I suppose abuse usually takes place when there are no witnesses present except for the child. Cases involving incest should never become statute-barred, either", says the brother who wants to remain anonymous out of regard for his two sisters and the mentioned grandchild.
Apart from the big disappojntment in the development of the case, he has now also been met with a clear demand from Jehovah’s Witnesses.
"I was told to keep quiet about this case in future. But they can forget that. They cannot hurt me. Unfortunately, they can be rather tough on my sisters if they do not do as they are told", he says.
Disassociated
The reason why the brother is in a more free position is that he has been disassociated from Jehovah’s Witnesses for years, whereas his two sisters and the 20-year-old grandchild are still members of the denomination.
"In that way they have a large power over them. They can disfellowship them, which means that they loose all their friends at once. That is what I call psychological terror, and it is also the reason why they dare not say anything about the matter today", the brother says.
As described in a former B.T. article, the dramatic case started in the spring when the 36-year-old sister D went to the police and reported her father for killing her new-born baby. She testified that she had become pregnant by her own father at the age of 12 after repeated abuse.
On March 13, 1978 she gave birth to the baby on the kitchen table of the family home. According to her testimony the father killed the baby immediately after.
Since then it has been revealed that D’s older sister may also have been abused by the father, and finally J’s daughter has reported the man for two abuses of her in 1987 and 1991, respectively.
At a high level
Due to the extensive media coverage, Jehovah’s Witnesses have dealt with the matter at a high level. Via the Watchtower Society high-ranking members of the denomination have established an investigation committee who have been studying the 72-year-old’s conduct and relations for several months.
"The committee have spoken with all the involved parties and have made a careful investigation of the testimony available. On the basis of this the committee have decided, as have the police, that there is not sufficient basis for the allegations", says PR Chief of Jehovah’s Witnesses of Denmark, Erik Joergensen.
The brother of the abused sisters is not satisfied.
"This is a terrible situation for us. Apparently no-one believes an incest victim. My sisters do not make up such things. They would not dream of it. Everything they have told is true", says the brother.
Erik Joergensen does not wish to comment on the brother’s allegation that Jehovah’s Witnesses have refused the involved parties the right to discuss the case further.
A 72-year-old former poultry dresser from Denmark is accused of baby-killing and of repeated molestation of two daughters and a grandchild.
Now, however, everything looks like the 72-year-old member of Jehovah’s Witnesses will be let off police prosecution as well as reprisals from Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The police have dropped the homicide trial due to the insufficiency of the evidence. The molestation of the two daughters has become statute-barred and the case concerning the grandchild turned out to be weak as regards evidence, as the only evidence will be the testimony of the 20-year-old girl. Therefore the Danish police has recently dropped this case, too, due to the insufficiency of the evidence, according to information from Deputy Chief of Police Lise-Lotte Bell.
At the same time the Watchtower Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses has just announced that they do not intend to disfellowship the 72-year-old Witness from the denomination.
The brother of the two abused daughters is shaken by the fact that the case is not even given a chance in court.
"We are all very disappointed. Both in Jehovah’s Witnesses and in the authorities. How will such a case be settled and the man punished if the prosecution cannot be based on the testimony of the victim. I suppose abuse usually takes place when there are no witnesses present except for the child. Cases involving incest should never become statute-barred, either", says the brother who wants to remain anonymous out of regard for his two sisters and the mentioned grandchild.
Apart from the big disappojntment in the development of the case, he has now also been met with a clear demand from Jehovah’s Witnesses.
"I was told to keep quiet about this case in future. But they can forget that. They cannot hurt me. Unfortunately, they can be rather tough on my sisters if they do not do as they are told", he says.
Disassociated
The reason why the brother is in a more free position is that he has been disassociated from Jehovah’s Witnesses for years, whereas his two sisters and the 20-year-old grandchild are still members of the denomination.
"In that way they have a large power over them. They can disfellowship them, which means that they loose all their friends at once. That is what I call psychological terror, and it is also the reason why they dare not say anything about the matter today", the brother says.
As described in a former B.T. article, the dramatic case started in the spring when the 36-year-old sister D went to the police and reported her father for killing her new-born baby. She testified that she had become pregnant by her own father at the age of 12 after repeated abuse.
On March 13, 1978 she gave birth to the baby on the kitchen table of the family home. According to her testimony the father killed the baby immediately after.
Since then it has been revealed that D’s older sister may also have been abused by the father, and finally J’s daughter has reported the man for two abuses of her in 1987 and 1991, respectively.
At a high level
Due to the extensive media coverage, Jehovah’s Witnesses have dealt with the matter at a high level. Via the Watchtower Society high-ranking members of the denomination have established an investigation committee who have been studying the 72-year-old’s conduct and relations for several months.
"The committee have spoken with all the involved parties and have made a careful investigation of the testimony available. On the basis of this the committee have decided, as have the police, that there is not sufficient basis for the allegations", says PR Chief of Jehovah’s Witnesses of Denmark, Erik Joergensen.
The brother of the abused sisters is not satisfied.
"This is a terrible situation for us. Apparently no-one believes an incest victim. My sisters do not make up such things. They would not dream of it. Everything they have told is true", says the brother.
Erik Joergensen does not wish to comment on the brother’s allegation that Jehovah’s Witnesses have refused the involved parties the right to discuss the case further.