Australia - Brisbane Times: Authorities ignored Gold Coast photographer's child sex crimes

by AndersonsInfo 11 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

  • AndersonsInfo
    AndersonsInfo

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/authorities-ignored-gold-coast-photographers-child-sex-crimes-20170413-gvkdx9.html

    April 13 2017

    Authorities ignored Gold Coast photographer's child sex crimes

    Ed Jackson

    Almost 40 years after first admitting his offences, a Gold Coast man has been convicted of sexually abusing a young girl in the late 1970s.

    Edward Sawden, 69, was given a wholly suspended two-year prison sentence at the Southport District Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to eight counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16.

    Sawden, a surfboard shaper and photographer, who has work on display at the National Potrait Gallery, pleaded guilty to abusing the girl on several occasions between 1977 and 1979.

    The ex-competitive surfer admitted to touching and digitally penetrating the girl at several locations including while swimming and in his bed.

    She was eight years old when the abuse began, the court heard.

    After the girl's mother discovered his abuse, Sawden first confessed to his local church and also admitted he had committed the offences to the Department of Child Services sometime between 1981 and 1982, the court was told.

    READ MORE: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/authorities-ignored-gold-coast-photographers-child-sex-crimes-20170413-gvkdx9.html



  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    Sorry to me that's wrong , most pedophile offenders spend at least a couple years in prison and when they are released they are under restrictions to not be in any social environment to where there are children for a few years after that.

    What this handling by the JWS does is say hey pedophiles try your luck at the JWS religion, if you get caught all they're going to do will do is not talk to you and wont call the police.

    I wonder how many times there were situations of pedophilia within the JWS and the person accused just left the area when they were caught and pointed out and they left the area only to re-victimized some other innocent child somewhere else. ???? stupid idiots

  • darkspilver
    darkspilver

    What this handling by the JWS does is say hey pedophiles try your luck at the JWS religion, if you get caught all they're going to do will do is not talk to you and wont call the police.

    The problem here seems to be that, according to the newspaper, the perpetrator himself confessed to the Department of Child Services but they took no action.

    After the girl's mother discovered his abuse, Sawden first confessed to his local church and also admitted he had committed the offences to the Department of Child Services sometime between 1981 and 1982, the court was told.

    Despite those revelations, no police investigation into Sawden's activities was launched at the time.

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/authorities-ignored-gold-coast-photographers-child-sex-crimes-20170413-gvkdx9.html

  • Richard Oliver
    Richard Oliver

    Infact the congregations disfellowshipping was the only sanctions that he suffered from those actions.

  • Finkelstein
    Finkelstein

    Yes got that Darkspilver but still .

    Weird conclusion nevertheless.

    If that happened today I'm sure the circumstances would have proven differently.

    Catholic priests admitted they were a little horny and bit lonely for some touching companionship

  • AndersonsInfo
    AndersonsInfo
  • doofdaddy
    doofdaddy

    Oh dear

    I knew Eddie Sawden very very well at that time. We became involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses at the same time but slightly different congregations and we had surfing in common. He was an extreme character with strict dietary rules and was very outspoken about food etc.

    I assume I know the victim but will not give any details. This is a good example of how poorly the JWs handle sexual abuse and the pain has continued for the victim for 40 yrs

  • zeb
    zeb

    so where was Child Welfare in all this?..

  • Richard Oliver
    Richard Oliver

    It does show that you cannot just take the 1006 number that has been published by the ARC as being the number that was never reported to a secular authority that deals with this. It is true that it the number of perpetrators within the congregations since the records started in the 1960s, but it doesn't mean that they weren't reported to authorities. It was reported, even though it wasn't the organization that reported it, it was reported. That is where the ARC and the Branch has some contention in wording. Even in the second hearing Angus Stewart wanted proof that the Organization was the one who reported these events, but as the Branch reps pointed out parents or elders or others may have reported the matter and that didn't require the Branch to do the actual reporting but that it was reported to authorities.

  • steve2
    steve2

    An old drum is beaten here. Angus Stewart's comments occurred in the context of JW elders seldom, if ever, and as recently as 2016, explicitly telling parents or complainants that they could report the matter to the police. Rightly or wrongly, JW parents would do almost anything to avoid coming across as independent in their thinking. I know of at least 3 separate historical cases locally in which parents had not even known the matter could and should have been reported to the police but had taken the matter to elders. I would like to think that, at least now, JW parents and/or complainants will not feel guilty or fearful or 'rocking the boat' if they take the initiative and report such matters.

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