Father told me about the elders school a couple years ago about this topic.

by Greyeyes 19 Replies latest watchtower child-abuse

• 

  Greyeyes

  Because my now ex wife was molested by her dad back in the 60's (while he was an elder), my dad and I were talking when he got back about how the issue of molestation was heavily discussed. He also tol dme that the Society's stand on it had always been that of that it MUST be reported to the athorities. That there had been a problem for too long of local elders being the ones to sweep it under the carpet, to protect a friend. They also said that any elder who learns of it MUST report it to the police as their christian duty. The example used was that if a witness commits murder, that the elders would go to the police, and that this is no different. And that if an elder was found out to have hidden thetruth about a situation that he would be removed of all responsibility.

  Can any ex elder confirm or deny this?
• 

  IP_SEC

  It has not, and still is not.
  

  The official line from the society is to report it only if John Law says you must. The only thing they MUST do is call legel at the branch.

  Anyone got that letter handy?

  PS

  It is true though that most of that school dealt with the Sex Abuse scandel. The other half was on the blood issue.
• 

  Greyeyes

  Thanks for clearing that up.
• 

  AlanF

  Greyeyes said:

  : Because my now ex wife was molested by her dad back in the 60's (while he was an elder), my dad and I were talking when he got back about how the issue of molestation was heavily discussed.

  It was not heavily discussed. It was lightly discussed, and a new policy was stated. This policy was that, for the first time, elders are not to discourage anyone from going to the police about molestation. The old official policy of requiring reporting only in states or countries where the law requires it was reiterated.

  What did not become policy was the converse -- that elders should always encourage molestation victims or their parents to report to the police.

  The things that were said were repeated almost verbatim in a February, 2002 letter to Bodies of Elders.

  : He also tol dme that the Society's stand on it had always been that of that it MUST be reported to the athorities.

  He's wrong. The unofficial policy has always been to discourage reporting -- even in states where reporting is required. This is proved by Bill Bowen's experience where a guy in the Service Department told him not to report a molester in Kentucky.

  : That there had been a problem for too long of local elders being the ones to sweep it under the carpet, to protect a friend.

  That certainly has been done, but there are now court cases filed or soon to be filed where it will be proved that the Society itself told elders to sweep it under the rug.

  : They also said that any elder who learns of it MUST report it to the police as their christian duty.

  Nope. It might be a Christian duty, but it certainly isn't Watchtower policy. That policy is simple: report only in states that require clergy to report.

  : The example used was that if a witness commits murder, that the elders would go to the police, and that this is no different.

  Well that's a bad example. The Silentlambs website has (or had; you'll have to check) on file a letter from the Society to an elder instructing him to ignore the fact that a new JW had confessed to murdering several people before he became a JW.

  : And that if an elder was found out to have hidden thetruth about a situation that he would be removed of all responsibility.

  Posh! They get in trouble only by ignoring the Society's unofficial policies -- policies never written down, but communicated via oral presentations given by Circuit and District Overseers, and by phone calls to the Service Department.

  AlanF
• 

  Elsewhere

  The bottom line is this: Who are the elders instructed to call FIRST after learning about an accusation of molestation? The Police, or Watchtower Legal Department?

  Answer: The Watchtower Legal Department.

  The Legal Department then tells the elders whether or not they are required to call the police in their jurisdiction. If they are not, the elders are not instructed to do so.

  If you ask me, the very first phone call should be to the police.
• 

  cyber-sista

  I know first hand of a case this past year in my own sister's congo where she and the sisters became aware of a young boy who was being molested in the congo--and she told me the elders had told them not to speak about it because they had contacted the society already and the society was making steps to take care of it..

  The clencher is this--my sister was told along with the other sisters was told by the elders that is was against the law for a minister to report a case of child molesting in their state--I said in surprise "against the law?" She said "yeh., weird law, huh? (It was pointed out to them that they were ministers too, so against the law in that state for them to report it.)

  I was on my way out of the Org at that point in time and began to do some research on it and looked up things on news reports and such and some of the state law books and eventually landed on the silent lambs site. Discreetly I tried to ask my sister about the situation again (At the time I did not want to raise her suspicions about my doubts) and what she had been told and she refused to respond to me any further about the situation. She does not communicate with me much anymore about anything (she knows I am out now), but she seemed very uncomfortable at the time with my questioning on what the elders had said to her and the others. Somehow they were told something to silence them.

  Like I said I was struggling with separating from the Org then and this was a slap in the face to open my eyes to the true nature of the WT Org. It was not against the law in that state for a minister to report a case such as this--they lied. I don't trust them anymore about anything--ever.

  cybs
• 

  Buster

  along with the other sisters was told by the elders that is was against the law for a minister to report a case of child molesting in their state

  cyber-sista,

  I once had a conversation with an elder that told me the exact same thing! I challenged him immediately on that. I asked him what he thought would happen if he went to the police with credible evidence of a young child being molested? Would the reporting elder get arrested? fined? told to go home? Would the police then do nothing to help the poor victim?

  I think the absurdity sunk in.

  That cult continues to stun me.
• 

  doinmypart

  Greyeyes

  Here's a link to a Feb 2002 Letter to Elders regarding the school you mention. See page 4 for the information on Child Abuse.

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/tmp/BOE20020318.pdf
• 

  Country Girl

  Cyber:

  In Texas, it is our duty as CITIZENS to report suspectected cases of child abuse. They do not diffrentiate between priests, average Joe, and other religions. It is our duty to report, as we see it, cases of child abuse. I was wondering... if you knew about this case of child abuse, have you reported it? It would really be great if you did! It might be that, in your state, you are required to report as a CITIZEN of that state, any cases of child abuse. You might be the one to save this child from further abuse. It is our duty, as citizens, to protect our communities.

  CG
• 

  stillconcerned

  Stunning and sickening.