JW's hold Caucus on Sex Abuse

by DevonMcBride 32 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

DevonMcBride

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115410,00.html

Jehovah's Witnesses Hold Caucus on Sex Abuse

Saturday, March 27, 2004

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Present and former Jehovah's Witnesses ( search ) who claim they were sexually abused by congregation leaders gathered in their first national caucus Saturday, sharing grievances about the religion's handling of abuse complaints and discussing legal strategy.

William Bowen ( search ), former leader of a Kentucky congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, said Saturday that more than 6,000 alleged sexual abuse victims have contacted a group he founded in 2001 to express "outrage at being silenced by the bad institutional policies" of the faith.

The religion's procedures "can decimate the lives of the innocent and empower predators to get away with the crime of rape," Bowen said.

Bowen's group, called silentlambs (search), was holding the caucus, which runs through Sunday and drew about two dozen participants.

A key participant was Kimberlee Norris, an attorney from Fort Worth, Texas, whose firm represents 47 alleged abuse victims in civil cases against Jehovah's Witnesses organizations and individuals. Since getting involved in 2002, she said, she has spoken with more than 2,000 victims.

J. R. Brown, public affairs spokesman at world headquarters of the Witnesses' Watchtower Bible and Tract Society ( search ), in New York City, said the religion agrees with silentlambs' goal "to minimize or eliminate the sexual abuse of children," but disputes the group's specific allegations.

"We do not view them as our enemies," Brown said.

Bowen contends that the Witnesses organization is a "pedophile paradise" because of the strong authority exercised by local elders and their overseers and the unusual way in which cases are handled.

As members of the faith understand biblical teaching, an accusation of wrongdoing must be supported by two people with direct knowledge, which silentlambs says is impossible in most molestation cases. Without such corroboration, the accused person is deemed innocent, silentlambs says, and victims and parents can be "disfellowshipped," or excommunicated, for slander if they speak up.

For a Witness, excommunication is a very harsh punishment. It means being cut off from relatives, friends and business associates. Bowen and other whistle-blowers have been excommunicated for raising abuse complaints against the organization.

Brown disputed the silentlambs' contention that Witnesses are discouraged from taking abuse complaints to secular police. Official policy says elders should report abuse allegations to police if state laws require this, as is now the case in many states.

Silentlambs, founded in 2001, has formed a loose interfaith alliance with two older groups that emerged from the Roman Catholic abuse scandals: The Linkup, based in Louisville, Ky., and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, with offices in Chicago and St. Louis.

Linkup leader Susan Archibald is joining the silentlambs board and Bowen is joining Linkup's board.

The issue has international ramifications for the Witnesses, who report about 1 million U.S. followers and 6 million worldwide.

One silentlambs speaker was Anders Kristensson, visiting from Sweden. He said when he told his local elders about his abuse they simply gave him copies of the religion's Watchtower and Awake magazines, said "trust in Jehovah, everything will be O.K., and that's it."

Roger Carlson, a former Witnesses elder in Sweden, said that since a national television report last year about abuse among Witnesses, 60 new victims have come forward.

"It's the same in every country," he said.

edited to remove obstructive advertisement - Scully

shamus
asleif_dufansdottir

WOW! What a great article!!!!!
DevonMcBride

Here are more links to articles on this subject
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/national-20/1080418745183370.xml
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V7547.AP-Jehovahs-Witne.html
http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-jehovahs-witnesses-abuse,0,3422130.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/8293198.htm
http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/8293198.htm
There are many more links too. It seems like this story has been run in every major newspaper in the country.
Way to go Silentlambs.
Devon
UnDisfellowshipped

Looks like I came back to this Website at the right time for some great SilentLambs activities!
SilentLambs goes NATIONAL ONCE AGAIN (Finally Fox News gets in on it too!):
Silentlambs Caucus News Articles (March 27th, 2004):
Fox News Channel
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,115410,00.html
Jehovah's Witnesses Hold Caucus on Sex Abuse

Saturday, March 27, 2004

NASHVILLE, Tenn. ? Present and former Jehovah's Witnesses who claim they were sexually abused by congregation leaders gathered in their first national caucus Saturday, sharing grievances about the religion's handling of abuse complaints and discussing legal strategy.

William Bowen, former leader of a Kentucky congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, said Saturday that more than 6,000 alleged sexual abuse victims have contacted a group he founded in 2001 to express "outrage at being silenced by the bad institutional policies" of the faith.
The religion's procedures "can decimate the lives of the innocent and empower predators to get away with the crime of rape," Bowen said.
Bowen's group, called silentlambs, was holding the caucus, which runs through Sunday and drew about two dozen participants.
A key participant was Kimberlee Norris, an attorney from Fort Worth, Texas, whose firm represents 47 alleged abuse victims in civil cases against Jehovah's Witnesses organizations and individuals. Since getting involved in 2002, she said, she has spoken with more than 2,000 victims.
J. R. Brown, public affairs spokesman at world headquarters of the Witnesses' Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, in New York City, said the religion agrees with silentlambs' goal "to minimize or eliminate the sexual abuse of children," but disputes the group's specific allegations.
"We do not view them as our enemies," Brown said.
Bowen contends that the Witnesses organization is a "pedophile paradise" because of the strong authority exercised by local elders and their overseers and the unusual way in which cases are handled.
As members of the faith understand biblical teaching, an accusation of wrongdoing must be supported by two people with direct knowledge, which silentlambs says is impossible in most molestation cases. Without such corroboration, the accused person is deemed innocent, silentlambs says, and victims and parents can be "disfellowshipped," or excommunicated, for slander if they speak up.
For a Witness, excommunication is a very harsh punishment. It means being cut off from relatives, friends and business associates. Bowen and other whistle-blowers have been excommunicated for raising abuse complaints against the organization.
Brown disputed the silentlambs' contention that Witnesses are discouraged from taking abuse complaints to secular police. Official policy says elders should report abuse allegations to police if state laws require this, as is now the case in many states.
Silentlambs, founded in 2001, has formed a loose interfaith alliance with two older groups that emerged from the Roman Catholic abuse scandals: The Linkup, based in Louisville, Ky., and Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, with offices in Chicago and St. Louis.
Linkup leader Susan Archibald is joining the silentlambs board and Bowen is joining Linkup's board.
The issue has international ramifications for the Witnesses, who report about 1 million U.S. followers and 6 million worldwide.
One silentlambs speaker was Anders Kristensson, visiting from Sweden. He said when he told his local elders about his abuse they simply gave him copies of the religion's Watchtower and Awake magazines, said "trust in Jehovah, everything will be O.K., and that's it."
Roger Carlson, a former Witnesses elder in Sweden, said that since a national television report last year about abuse among Witnesses, 60 new victims have come forward.
"It's the same in every country," he said.
_____________________________________________________________
NewsDay.com: http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-jehovahs-witnesses-abuse,0,5070.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines
New York NewsDay: http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-jehovahs-witnesses-abuse,0,3422130.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines
The Guardian (United Kingdom): http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3910500,00.html
Tuscaloosa News: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/APA/403270810
Kansas City Star: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/8293198.htm?1c
Centre Daily Times: http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/8293198.htm
Fort Wayne News Sentinel: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/8293198.htm
The Miami Herald: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/nation/8293198.htm
Wichita Eagle: http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/8293198.htm
Worcester Telegram (MA): http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/APA/403270810&cachetime=5
The Ledger (Florida): http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/APA/403270810
Penn Live (Pennsylvania): http://pennlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/national-20/1080418745183370.xml
San Diego Union Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20040327-1208-jehovahswitnesses-abuse.html
San Luis Obispo Tribune (California): http://www.sanluisobispo.com/mld/sanluisobispo/news/local/8293198.htm
Biloxi Sun Herald (MS): http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/8293198.htm
Wilmington Morning Star (North Carolina): http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/APA/403270810&cachetime=5
Times Daily (Alabama): http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040327/APA/403270810
Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio): http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/8293198.htm
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (IN): http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/8293198.htm
Wilkes Barre Weekender (Pennsylvania): http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/8293198.htm
Duluth News Tribune (MN): http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/8293198.htm
Times Picayune: http://www.nola.com/newsflash/national/index.ssf?/base/national-20/1080418745183370.xml
Fresno Bee (California): http://www.fresnobee.com/24hour/nation/story/1243153p-8291184c.html
Seattle Post Intelligencer (Washington): http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apus_story.asp?category=1110&slug=Jehovah's%20Witnesses%20Abuse
Fort Worth Star Telegram (Texas): http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/nation/8293198.htm
San Jose Mercury News (California): http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/8293198.htm
Bradenton Herald (Florida): http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/8293198.htm
Grand Forks Herald (North Dakota): http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/8293198.htm
MLive.com (MI): http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/lateststories/index.ssf?/base/national-20/1080418745183370.xml
Atlanta Journal Constitution (GA): http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/ap/ap_story.html/National/AP.V7547.AP-Jehovahs-Witne.html
Houston Chronicle (Texas): http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2471261
Kenneson

"We do not view them as our enemies," Brown said. Oh, really? Does that mean Bowen and others are being re-instated? Puke.
UnDisfellowshipped

"We do not view them as enemies" -----
We simply view them as Apostate swine who are going to be eternally destroyed by Jehovah God very soon, who must be shunned and avoided like the plague by all Jehovah's Witnesses.
avishai

"We do not view them as our enemies," Brown said.
Then why are they covering their asses and running, instead of admitting to covering up for decades?
abbagail

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archives/04/03/48864503.shtml

Friday, 03/26/04 - Middle Tennessee News & Information

Group renews charge that Jehovah's Witnesses
indifferent to sexual abuse

By BRIAN LEWIS
Staff Writer

Local Jehovah's Witness leaders are ignoring requests to meet with survivors of sexual abuse and their advocates, an organization calling for change in the church's policies on sexual abuse said.

Bill Bowen, national director of Silent Lambs, said sexual abuse in Jehovah's Witness congregations is ''an epidemic that's got to stop. Jehovah's Witnesses provide an excellent example of policy gone wrong.''

He was speaking outside a west Nashville Kingdom Hall, as the Jehovah's Witness churches are called. Silent Lambs also is sponsoring a conference on combating ''ignorance and apathy when it comes to sexual abuse'' tomorrow and Sunday at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, 777 McGavock Pike.

J.R. Brown, a spokesman for the national Jehovah's Witness organization, said that while accusations had been made that the church was shielding pedophiles, they had not been proved. If members commit sexual abuse, they can be excommunicated, Brown said.

The role of a church leader is to help a person spiritually, not prosecute someone for a secular crime, Brown said. Consequently, church leaders report to secular authorities only in states where they are required to do so by law, he said.

(That's exactly the point! How "christian" is that to ONLY do what you are FORCED to do, rather than assisting IN LOVE without being TOLD to BY LAW! grrrrrr/grits)

''Generally, the purpose of a cleric or minister is to entertain confessions of sin the person has committed and try to help the individual restore their relationship with God,'' Brown said. ''I don't know of any religious organization that has required all of its ministers to report every case of child abuse.''

(Where have you been JR? Try reading what the rest of the 'religious world' is doing. And, yes, how nice to hear the sins of the pedo's and ignore the pain of the pedo's victims! /grits)

However, some religious organizations, including the Roman Catholic Church, do require clergy to report all cases of sexual abuse to the police.

(SEEEEEE, JR? Get your head out of the confines of the ivory tower and pay attention!/grits)

Also at the news conference, Silent Lambs presented an award to Jeff Walden of Nashville for speaking out about the abuse that he suffered as a child in a Memphis Jehovah's Witness congregation.

''If you speak out in this religion, you have to leave your life behind you and move on,'' said Walden, who said his experience as a Witness had turned him off to organized religion.

Brian Lewis writes about religion, faith and values. He can be reached at 259-8077 or [email protected].
abbagail

The New York Times also ran the AP article at its website:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Abuse.html

NYTimes.com > National:

Jehovah's Witnesses Hold Sex Abuse Caucus
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: March 27, 2004

Filed at 3:13 p.m. ET

JW's hold Caucus on Sex Abuse

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