Elders School 2017: New instructions to handle sexual abuses?

by sp74bb 23 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  sp74bb

  Hello to all,

  An informant in Spanish forum, active elder in a congregation in Madrid (Spain) has posted new info regarding Elders School 2017. Important changes are to be done for "child" or sexual abuses. https://abusostj.vbulletin.net/forum/main-forum/audiencias-judiciales/5506-escuela-de-ancianos-2017

  Doing a summary:
  

  - New changes are being check by the lawyers at this moment.

  - Changes are held in order to fulfill European laws.

  - Once exposed to a sexual abuse, when the judicial committee starts, the ones present must listened and read a statement stating that applying the state law of the country the victims can report to the authorities.

  - The victim might be asked to sign a statement according he/she is aware of the possibility to report to the authorities.

  - The signed statement or the info that the victim can report to the authorities will be held inside the "Do not destroy" envelope.
• 

  StarTrekAngel

  So in other words....more CYA
• 

  AnneB

  ...when the judicial committee starts...
  

  How many judicial committees will there be since there have to be two witnesses before the elders will proceed?

  What about the cases where there are not two witnesses? They won't make it as far as a JC.

  Elders may also be offenders. They can sit in Elder's School and learn just exactly what hurdles they need to overcome to avoid censure for their "sins." Convenient.
• 

  keinlezard

  Hello,

  If I understand correctly

  - The victim might be asked to sign a statement according he/she is aware of the possibility to report to the authorities.

  The victim now will be informed that he/she could report the crime to the authority but how a young victims can understand that. If in the same time, Elders say "you must forgive" and when young victim is alone before elder. It seems to me that the WT and GB want to protect them from new prosecution. They could they "victim signs she/he is aware of his possibility to reporting to the authority" but at the same time they acts to force victims to not report by forgive pressure.

  The look like bulgaria and blood policies .. jw are not "disfellowed" by Organisation, but if they accept blood they disfellow themself from Organisation.

  I don't know if you understand my poor english

  
  
• 

  sp74bb

  @StarTrekAngel, so true ! Covering their a*****, not victims rights....
• 

  sp74bb

  @keinlezard So true... "Bulgaria II"? We have invited you and tell you you can report it, then....
• 

  sp74bb

  I feel this new provision will not solve the current situation regarding "sexual abuses"... specially for minors, children or vulnerable ones. Just the opposite, it will make it worse...

  In Spain as in many countries within EU, all persons knowing any info regarding abuses MUST report to the police. Not only anyone present as a witness of these abuses, but as well anyone knowing details about them (aka... Elders in a Judicial Committee).

  If the victim decides not to report to the authorities and the Judicial Committee decides not to disfellowship the abuser, another possible abuser will remain within the Congregation.

  Last but not least, "Do not destroy" envelope with the details of the abuses seems to remain. Again, it seems that the registry of abusers within the Congregation (maybe some reported to the authorities, and other not reported) will not be stopped...
• 

  Vidiot

  So JWs' right to report abuse is upheld, and now, in fact, appears more explicitly spelled out to any future complainants...

  

  ...but, like transfusions and celebrating Xmas, the Org views "whistleblowing" as - essentially - a disassociating action (confirmed last year during the Aussie RC).

  So now, said complainants are signing a document that essentially becomes their "letter of disassociation" and makes it more official.

  

  Sneaky f**kers.
• 

  konceptual99

  If this is true it represents yet another example of the legalistic approach of the WTS rather than simply looking to best practice and unilaterally reporting. Rather than allowing a truly pastoral environment of care, comfort and support it's one of yet more formalities, more "sign this", paper shuffling nonsense just so the onus for any progression with the authorities can be firmly thrown at the feet of the victim and their family.

  This is not shepherding. It's project management.
• 

  defender of truth

  Thank you for sharing this and translating for us.

  Is there any good reason to believe that this will be standard practice for all EU states?

  We need more insider elders going to schools across EU.

  Would it help if someone started a thread, saying something like:

  "If you know someone who is going to the Elders school 2017 and might tell you what they heard, in any country, please post here"?

  Then we'd know who to ask and could collate the reports.

  The OP of this thread could be quoted to get things started..