Reveal News: "Jehovah’s Witnesses fight law on reporting child sex abuse to police" by Trey Bundy (page 2)

greenhornet

I hope this Delaware attorney general wins this case. Death by a thousand cuts to Watch tower.

smiddy

I thought the official position with the Governing Body of Jehovah`s Witnesses , was that they did not have a Clergy laity class. Full stop.

I`m going back about 50 years now .

And I agree fully with Scully regarding the Sacramental Confession does not apply to Jehovah`s Witnesses as her/his post points out .

The confessor is one person , the priest is one other person , and no other human hears this confession.

With JW`S a confession may be made to one Elder , however it will then be brought to another Elders attention and then a Judicial Committee is formed involving another three Elders to investigate further what has been disclosed .

smiddy

freddo

Thank you Barbara - you do a fantastic job. Such bravery to walk away from WTHQ and fight for what is right.

Question: Is this being put out to mainstream news?

I seem to recall a case in North-east England where 3 elders (obviously leant on and "guided" by London branch legal) tried this "confession" defence to avoid giving evidence in court (they weren't charged with a crime because UK does not have mandatory reporting) but they had to testify due to a court order summoning them to do so.

Phizzy

I don't know on what basis the Elders in the N.E claimed they had a duty, or a right, not to report, or not to testify.

Priest/Penitent confidentiality is not protected in English Law, not since the Reformation.

DATA-DOG

Is there a way to get information to this Judge or anyone else involved?? Seriously, this is a prime opportunity to share some truth regarding the JW sect's duplicitous nature.

1) Claiming "clergy/penitent privilege" to avoid reporting is a direct contradiction of Geoffrey Jackson's testimony to the RC, where Jacko states that the JW/Org will report IF mandatory reporting laws exist.

2) Would such a privilege extend to all baptized witnesses who are, according to the official doctrine, ( which Geoffrey Jackson is guardian of..) Ordained Ministers??

This Judge and his team need to be educated, just like Angus Stewart and his team obviously were. What can be done?

Finally, there is no emoticon, or bitmoji, or even language to express loudly enough, the confusion/rage/indignation that I feel towards these assholes. I can't scream loudly enough to express myself concerning their disgusting hypocrisy.

Superior Authorities: "Why did you not report these cases of child sexual abuse?"

WTBTS: "We would, if you had mandatory reporting laws."

SA: "Ok. We have mandatory reporting laws."

WTBTS: "Yah, we can't do that. We have clergy-penitent privilege."

SA: "So you lied to us?"

WTBTS: "No. We will be happy to comply with mandatory reporting, as long as it doesn't conflict with our clergy-penitent privilege" (These assholes don't deserve to know the truth, so we aren't really lying.)

DD

Mephis

Just wanted to pull out the points the judge raised from the judgement. It's the judicial nature of the process which the judge argues place it outside of it being a confession in Delaware. JWs could have a confession in Delaware, they could have the whole body of elders sat there in clown suits and still be allowed to call it a confession, but the judicial process thing they do is being called out for being outside of the exemption to report.

The [exemption] applies only when the purpose of the conversation is for penitence. The affidavits supplied by Defendants leaves open certain questions of fact. What was the motivation of Juvenile Member and Mother in bringing the sexual relationship to the attention of the Elders? Was the intention to report misconduct to church officials, or to confess sinful behavior and thus to obtain absolution? The fact that Juvenile Member was excommunicated may indicate that Juvenile Member did not come voluntarily to the meeting, or that Juvenile Member did not reveal the information with the understanding that his repentance might result in the absolution that ordinarily is associated with sacramental confession.

The circumstances and motivation of Adult Member also are in question. Defendants' affidavits indicate that the conversation was demanded by the Elders as part of a disciplinary process. If the meeting with the Elders was not initiated by Adult Member, Adult Member may not be deemed to be a penitent. If the purpose of this meeting was for the Elders to investigate alleged child abuse, [the conversation] may not be a sacramental confession.

cha ching

Right on, Data Dog.... You hit the nail on the head!

Each point is so right on. I guess you could send the info to the District Attorney?

Smiddy.... Yes, do "we" really have 'clergy / laity'?

What a wicked web they wove, when into the mire they dove!

Reveal News: "Jehovah’s Witnesses fight law on reporting child sex abuse to police" by Trey Bundy

greenhornet

smiddy

freddo

Phizzy

DATA-DOG

Mephis

cha ching

juandefiero

Heaven

AndersonsInfo

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