by Holey_Cheeses*King_of_the juice. 23 Replies latest jw friends
We also have to remember the victims and survivors of this terrible situation and how this must be affecting their mental health because the org wouldn't join and the Australian government has given them extra time to join the redress scheme .
A kind and loving organisation NOT.
I think the main reasons that the Borg hasn’t joined is that 1600 x A$80,000 = A$128,000,000.
Not sure if all 1,600 cases/claims will qualify for compensation. A victim needs to apply for the compensation, and an independent decision maker will investigate the case and will decide if it actually happened, and then it will qualify.
According to this article, as of June 2020, only 10 victims came forward referring to abuse by Jehovah's Witnesses:
Not sure if the number of applications have gone up.
According to this article, as of June 2020, only 10 victims came forward referring to abuse by Jehovah's Witnesses:
I am surprised the number isn’t zero. The article mentions the number of jw victims (10) who have applied under the national redress scheme. Not much point in applying if Jehovahs Witnesses hasn’t even joined. Presumably the 10 anticipate they will join. The number 1600 is the number of jw victims revealed by its own records subpoenaed by the Royal Commission. The number could be higher.
That being said, I did read elsewhere that overall, claims against those institutions that DID join the national redress scheme lodged so far is well below what was estimated.
Since Jehovah owns all the gold and silver he should use some of it to pay the victims of abuse and the watchtowers tax bill.
Just to answer the initial post it was Anne Rustin the Federal Minister who will be implementing the loss of charity status on the Watchtower here in Australia. It may be announced but it will without doubt be drawn into court which will stretch for some time.
Fundamentally they will never voluntarily sign onto the redress scheme, they cant. It would be an admission that Gods visible organisation on Earth(their opinion) can make a mistake, and they can never be wrong so there's the rub.
As to the Watchtower coughing up $$$ through asset sale it cant happen. The Watchtower society in Australia has minimal assets of printing equipment and office equipment. Everything else is owned by separate(legally separate) entities that cant be drawn into the compensation.Every congregation is a poor charity with less than $5k in the bank and their hall is owned by a Private Non-charity company run by the WTS. Their whole restructure from the early 200's has been geared to avoid financial responsibility for their actions.
Hopefully the negative publicity will destroy their public witnessing activities in Australia at least....
As to the Watchtower coughing up $$$ through asset sale it cant happen. The Watchtower society in Australia has minimal assets of printing equipment and office equipment. Everything else is owned by separate(legally separate) entities that cant be drawn into the compensation.Every congregation is a poor charity with less than $5k in the bank and their hall is owned by a Private Non-charity company run by the WTS. Their whole restructure from the early 200's has been geared to avoid financial responsibility for their actions.
My understanding is that this is the “Ellis Defence”. My understanding is that laws have been introduced to combat this. Here is a media report on it:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-01/catholic-church-ellis-defence-scrapped-from-new-years-day/10675890
B.t.w. Fully agree with the rest of your post.
"As to the Watchtower coughing up $$$ through asset sale it cant happen. The Watchtower society in Australia has minimal assets of printing equipment and office equipment. Everything else is owned by separate (legally separate) entities that cant be drawn into the compensation."
Does anyone think that WTBS would shut down the Australian branch office and administer the Australian congregations from Warwick, NY? It wouldn't be beneath them to just let the local congregations in Australia fend for themselves. If necessary they could subcontract with a printing company in Australia to produce their material to be distributed there.
@faded: it was what they did in Russia when they lost their status for much the same reasons.
Years ago, Australian Bethel printed literature for a large part of the oceania region as far as I remember. The printing there was pretty major. Do they still have all that equipment, or is it long gone?
Welcome Faded4good
It wouldn't be beneath them to just let the local congregations in Australia fend for themselves.
I think that is on the cards.
