Translation of a Danish Newspaper article by Morten Nøhr Mortensen, B.T., of December 20, 2001
Jehovah’s Witnesses Try to Conceal Sexual Assaults
Jehovah’s Witnesses hush down cases of child abuse
In an attempt to keep up the appearance of piety Jehovah’s Witnesses do everything to hush down internal cases of child abuse. The victims are let down while the pedophiles can continue molesting children without risking serious consequences.
This is the conclusion that one must necessarily make after a close study of the denomination’s own literature about sexual abuse within the denomination.
After B.T.’s coverage of a tragic case from the Danish province of Northern Jutland, in which a 72-year old Witness is accused of incestuous abuse of two daughters and a grandchild, this newspaper has received a controversial article from the November 1995 issue of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ magazine "The Watchtower". The magazine is distributed to millions of people worldwide, and thereby also to the 15,000 witnesses in Denmark.
Under the heading "Comfort to those with a stricken spirit" it says that if there are two persons who remember being abused by the same person, this does not constitute a sufficiently solid basis for the elders to take further action in the case. It also says that "In time you may accept that the matter is consigned to oblivion".
Sanctuary for pedophiles
The chairman of Care Denmark, an organization working for the keeping of the UN Convention of Children’s Rights, Psychotherapist Michael Rasmussen has gone through the article and is shaken after a close study.
"It is quite obvious that victims of sexual abuse will have serious problems within Jehovah’s Witnesses. They clearly do not get any help if they ask for it. They will not be heard. This is so despicable. Anyone who reads this, will say that Jehovah’s Witnesses is a sanctuary for pedophiles", says Michael Rasmussen.
All in all he thinks that it is beneath contempt, that Jehovah’s Witnesses demand that an adult or a child trying to cope with the memories of abuse in childhood, have to go to the elders before going to the police. What makes it even more grotesque is that the elders will then demand that the victim discusses the matter with the accused first.
Talk to your tormentor
"This means that the victim has to go directly to his/her tormentor. Guiding members this way is both against religious and ethical principles. The elder have nothing to do in such matters. That is for the police to deal with", says Michael Rasmussen.
But the police is exactly who Jehovah’s Witnesses are trying to keep out of these kind of cases. At least according to Poul Dal who has today resigned as a Witness. He was a high-ranking Witness in the congregation of the Danish town Skive for 35 years and an elder for more than ten years.
"When I was an elder we were given clear instructions from the Watchtower Society that we were not allowed to call the police in cases about child abuse. We were told several times that the Watchtower Society handled these cases themselves", says Poul Dal.
He thinks that the Watchtower policy in this field may have disastrous consequences for children within the denomination.
"By doing everything to hush down these cases, Jehovah’s Witnesses give the pedophiles a possibility to carry on with their abuse. This is what happened in a case from Viborg (a neighbouring town), where a witness did not go to the police until another child was molested", says Poul Dal.
About something else
PR Chief of Jehovah’s Witnesses of Denmark, Erik Joergensen, denies that the denomination is trying to hush down abuse cases.
"The article is about repressed memories. The article does not cover our attitude in cases of actual molestation", he says.
But why not let the police look at the case? It can be difficult to decide whether it is abuse?
"Some people do go to the police. But when there is doubt about a case, it is not our task to tell people what to do."
But is that not exactly what you are doing when you tell the victim to go to the elders first and then to contact the accused?
"We can give advice but we cannot make decisions for people. That is up to them. Apart from this, I must refer you to our press release", says Erik Joergensen.
The press release says:
"Jehovah’s Witnesses condemn child abuse and looks at such allegations with great concern, first and foremost to protect the children."
What Jehovah’s Witnesses write about child abuse"Do not make rash decisions. In time you may accept that the matter is consigned to oblivion"
"If there is a valid reason to believe that the person you accuse, is still molesting children, it may be necessary to issue a warning."
"The names of suspects of child abuse must be kept strictly confidential."
"Then what if the molested party decides to file a lawsuit. In that case the two elders must advise him to obey Matthew 18:15 which says that he must go to the accused alone and discuss the matter with him."
"The accused may confess and the parties may be reconciled. What a happy outcome that would be."
"If the accused deny the molestation, the elders must explain to the person making the accusation that there is no more that they can do, and the congregation will continue regarding the accused as innocent."
"Even if more than one person can recall being abused by the same person, this still does not constitute a solid enough basis for the elders to base their decision upon without further evidence."
"Will he get away with it then? Definitely not. The question of whether he is guilty or not, can be safely left to Jehovah."