Vicky's trial (page 2)

donkey

Socialism fails again...the MFer should have been hanged in a public place.

talesin

Yes, granny, Kwin is a cutie. So is mrs. kwin (H2H on JWD), and their 2 little ones. I miss them, and they haven't been gone a week.

But I am holding their pets and home hostage, so they have to come back!

Gosh, Kwin, I was hoping the 'community' thing was not a euphemism for house arrest. Steal money and you go to Dorchester, steal someones childhood and rob them of precious years of their life, and you get to do your time in the comfort of home, where you can still go to work and entertain your friends.

Not to take away from this victory for Vicky, though. She fought hard, and won. That is very uncommon in our court system, and requires a great deal of tenacity and courage. A true hero. As jst2laws says, she has paved the road for those who will come after.

tal

talesin

Socialism fails again...the MFer should have been hanged in a public place.

Actually, if I had my socialist anarchist way, the PEOPLE of the village would do with him what they chose. And it would be a lot more painful and long-lived than a mere hanging from this villager. Capitalism places a higher value on monetary crime.

loveis

http://canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050829/CPN/61817029

No jail for sex abuser in case that cast spotlight on Jehovah's Witnesses COLIN PERKEL
TORONTO (CP) - A Jehovah's Witness who sexually abused his daughter was sentenced Monday to two years less a day to be served in the community in a case that cast a spotlight on how the church handles sex-abuse complaints within its ranks.

The victim, Vicki Boer, said the sentencing of her father validates her allegations and should force the church to face up to its shortcomings in handling her abuse complaint. "For the first time, somebody believed me," Boer said of the judge.

"It makes (the elders) accountable. They've never had to be accountable," she said in an interview from Fredericton.

In June, Gower Palmer pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault in Ontario Superior Court in Orangeville, Ont., about 100 kilometres northwest of Toronto.

However, the court found he had abused his daughter on at least five separate occasions, prosecutor Eric Taylor said Monday.

Taylor said he wanted Justice Emile Kruzick to impose a prison term on Palmer in the three-year range.

However, in imposing a lower penalty, Kruzick said Palmer had already been punished by going through a lengthy civil suit. He will also be put on a sex-offender registry and will have to go through counselling.

While identifying sexual-abuse victims is normally prohibited, Boer wanted the public to know her name.

"This is a battle that I'm fighting for not even just myself but for other kids," she said.

Now a married mother of three pre-teen daughters, Boer said she hoped her criminal and civil battles would force changes to how Witnesses deal with sexual abuse within their ranks.

As part of their beliefs, Jehovah's Witnesses reject anything political or "worldly" that distracts from their focus on Christ and the second coming, which they consider imminent.

Boer, 34, was sexually assaulted by her father between ages 11 and 14.

Rather than notify authorities, she claimed in an earlier civil suit that church elders told her not to seek outside help or report the abuse.

She also said they forced her to confront her dad to allow him to repent his sins as outlined in Matthew 18:15-18, a process she said was abusive and traumatic.

In 1998, Boer sued the Jehovah's Witnesses through the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society for $700,000, saying the abuse and how it was handled by the church almost drove her to suicide.

In June 2003, Justice Anne Molloy ruled the church could not be held responsible for all her pain and suffering.

Molloy found the church had not warned her against reporting the abuse, and only that one elder had wrongly applied church policy by persuading her to confront her father.

She did find the organization negligent in allowing untrained elders to hold the meeting and awarded Boer $5,000 in damages.

"They don't follow the (written) policies," said Boer, who abandoned the faith in the early 1990s.

Spokesman Mark Ruge disputed Boer's allegations the church tries to deal with abuse away from the prying eyes of outside authorities.

"We abhor any sexual misconduct or abuse, especially when children are involved," said Ruge from Georgetown, Ont.

"We abide by the letter of the law as far as legal requirements are in reporting to the appropriate child-welfare services."

Following the civil trial, Boer overcame a reluctance to press charges against her own father saying she wanted him held personally accountable for his actions.

avishai

The judge found that there was "exceptional circumstances" so he didn't have to serve the minimum sentance of 3 years in prison because he has already been through a civil trial, and has his reputation ruined in his community because of the publicity regarding the trial.

Well, I'll congratulate vicki on the fact that he was found guilty.....but I for one think this sentence is Bee Yew double ell S H * T!!! Especially based on those reasons. You mess with a kid you deserve negative publicity and a civil trial for christ sakes. You deserve to have your reputation ruined. After all, you Messed up YOUR OWN CHILD!! And all you get is less than two goddamn yrs. house arrest? All i have to say is is Canadian criminals sure have it good! Jesus christ!

needs_lots

Gracy, and "my halifax friend"

THANK YOU SO MUCH so attending the trial and letting me know what happened. You are such great people, and the job you do is so important to people like me. I had no one else there to give me the information.

How did we get that cp article!

I was so happy that he wrote it.

Iam not sad that he didn't get jail time.

Just piss's me off that the poor man has already suffered do to the civial trial. BOO HOO. He didn;t even have to testify. Wasn't even there. What about my suffering.............what about the pain i went threw. Have I served my time too.

The worst thing for him will be maditory councelling, he hates them!

No more trips to NFLD for a while and no more hunting.

Just wish, i had another shot at civil with a good lawyer and a strong team..............where are the good lawyers when you need them.

vicki boer

Aude_Sapere

Vicky -

You are a hero to many abused children. (They may not know it yet, but we sure do!)

Thank you so much for your courage in allowing your story to be public. You are an extremely courageous woman. I'm sure you daughters will appreciate the lessons you have taught them about self-respect and conviction to fight for what is right and just.

Thanks again for sharing this with us.

-Aude.

hawkaw

How did we get that cp article!

Hehehehehe ......

BTW where the Spokesman for the Watchtower indicates that they abide by the letter of the law, please be aware that there are hundreds of files of abuse that they have documented in the Georgetown headquarters and tens of thousands of files of abuse that they have documented in the New York headquarters that have never been released to the police (and they have admitted to it in numerous articles).

I would like to thank everyone for their help and Vicki you were great! I hope this brings some closure for you, Vicki, and thank you for going public to show survivors that they need not be afraid.

BTW it was on our Kingston radio news this morning.

hawk

hawkaw

Looks like we made page 5 of the Globe and Mail!!!!!

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050830/JEHOVAH30/TPNational/Canada

hawkaw

When I did a search at infomart.ca I found the story in the Sudbury Star, The Daily News in Halifax, The Kingston Whig Standard (my home tome .... hehehehe) and of course the CP newswire!!!!!

Well done everyone!

Vicky's trial

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