There is a new letter to elders about Child Abuse

by ttdtt 69 Replies latest watchtower scandals

  • JHK
    JHK

    Thanks. We need light. We want light.

    You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
  • sparrowdown
    sparrowdown

    The thing is they cannot exclude a parent from anything JW or no JW.

    The Organization is not a substitute for the police or Child Protective Servises and elders have NO authority.

    If any non-JW parent out there is excuded from anything to do with their children and WT call the police!

  • xjwsrock
    xjwsrock

    I would add to sparrowdown's comment to also call a lawyer and get legal representation. Nothing better for a judicial meeting than walking in with a lawyer!

    My takeaway from the letter is simple. The org is still more concerned about their business interests than doing the right thing by children.

    That's all I need to know.

  • stillin
    stillin

    Saename

    "Yup! Maybe I'll even talk to one of the elders in my congregation about it? I wonder what he would say if he learned that I read a letter to the body of elders? :grinning:"

    I recommend caution in this. It's fun but I had an elder go into bulldog mode when I tipped my hand about something that only the elite elders were supposed to know. I acted dumb and another elder came to my rescue.

    But then, I'm doing a painfully slow fade. Maybe you're looking for excitement.

  • LoisLane looking for Superman
    LoisLane looking for Superman

    Sorry. I only read to point #3. Sexual conduct with a minor is a gross sin.

    Really WT/JW..org???????????????????????????????????????????

    It took you how many decades AND a century to figure that one out?

    I despise you workers of lawlessness. Perverters of justice.

    You are cockroaches who live to do their dirty 'business' in darkness, then when the lights are turned on, you, Geoffrey Jackson, Australian Royal Commission summer of 2015, LIED!!!

    WT/JW..org are killers of people. You are a madman who allow no respectable escape. WT leaders are sociopaths, egotists, out for what they can get from the low and downtrodden 'little guy'. Shame on you WT. You are the scum of the earth! If only all GB members and Elder's could go to prison from holding back protection of innocent children, let those men (and women if they knew and did nothing) get their due there from stinky Bubba looking for new sexual conquests and see how they like it. Scream all you like. No one will care. That is how you treated us!

    LoisLane

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    So...

    1) It's the parents fault/responsibility if their kid gets molested by an Elder or MS? Are the parents allowed to judge their fellow JWs and not associate, or disrupt the spiritual pedodise?

    2) They won't shield the perp from the consequences of "sin." No mention of child abuse being a crime?

    3) No mention of Elders following mandatory reporting laws and having a responsibility to protect children in a physical manner? I thought these assholes were "Dukes and Stars of Revelation?"

    DD

  • rebelfighter
    rebelfighter

    I have a sever migraine or I would write more but I think what

    LoisLane wrote should have been IN BOLD AND CAPITAL LETTERS.

  • Saename
    Saename
    steve2 - Very helpful overview Saename. Makes the changes - or lack of them - stand out.

    Thank you for your kind words.

    steve2 - Regarding your above quote, my understanding is that this aspect changed some time back. It is not new. In other words, for some years now, the victim has not had to be confront the alleged abuser or be present when elders question him.

    I wasn't aware of that. This means that there are practically no changes in the policies. Why did they bother to write the letter at all...?

    steve2 - For me the big change is allowing a member of the congregation to be present when the elders meet with the victim, preferably a parent. Sure, if one of the parents is not a JW that excludes them - but at least it's a start. I note too that it does not state that the victim chooses who her support person will be - but I'd like to think the elders will take that into account - no guarantees.

    Yeah, at least it is a start. Still, they should be despised by everyone and anyone because of excluding non-JW parents—especially disfellowshipped ones.

    Thank you for your note, too. I didn't notice the fact that the victim does not choose her support person. The decision is entirely made by the elders, so... yeah... probably they would exclude non-JW parents—especially disfellowshipped ones.

    steve2 - In essence, whilst a change here and there, it does not go far enough - especially around informing the authorites regardless of what the state law is.

    Yeah, informing the authorities is the big part. The letter does not say whether the elders should even encourage the parents to inform the authorities—meaning, the elders will probably not encourage the parents to do so.

    stillin - I recommend caution in this. It's fun but I had an elder go into bulldog mode when I tipped my hand about something that only the elite elders were supposed to know. I acted dumb and another elder came to my rescue.

    But then, I'm doing a painfully slow fade. Maybe you're looking for excitement.

    Yeah, I'm not really looking for a slow fade. I'm all for excitement. Besides, I'm an unbaptised publisher who just finished high school and is going to university after summer. That means that I do have friends outside the congregation. It wouldn't matter to me if they decided to shun me. Additionally, I'm a very confident person. Very confident. I don't let others have authority over me. I don't believe the elders have any real power. It's all fake. I realise this, so I really don't think they'd be capable of dealing with me if they pursued the case.

  • cofty
    cofty

    I have been working with children and young people in sport for over 20 years. I have attended child protection training on a number of occasions and have held the role of child welfare officer at a club with over 100 junior members.

    There is no mandatory reporting law in the UK. However there one take-home message at every training seminar I have attended that is totally missing from this letter....

    If you get a report of child abuse or have reasonable grounds for suspicion, make sure the child is safe and call the police or social services. Even if the child says they don't want to make trouble for the abuser - call the police without delay.

    The reputation of the club or of the sport's governing body is not even part of the equation.

    The Watchtower are continuing to keep the police at arm's length unless local law obliges them to report. This will not do and it will not satisfy the Charity Commission investigation.

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    Why would the WTBTS Lawyers and their GB crime bosses ever recommend that parents go to the police? Why recommend a course of action that could cost them $$$?

    No, it's much better to say that they won't stop parents from reporting, while simultaneously creating an enviroment where whistleblowers are considered prideful and disloyal.

    DD

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit