konceptual99

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Posts by konceptual99

• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  ...Watchtower has already made it clear that they will report a case of child abuse...

  Have they?

  Aside from where there are legal mandatory reporting laws in place the only reference I can recall to the WTS proactively reporting, regardless of internal judicial status, is in the statement to the ARC...

  In circumstances where the elders and/or Branch office determine that a child is in danger, the elders will report the matter to law enforcement authorities even if there is insufficient Scriptural evidence to establish serious sin.

  As yet, I don't believe this is the official, documented policy of the WTS even in Australia, let alone world wide.

  Also, the above comment refers to a child being in danger. We are talking about here about child pornography so there is unlikely to be a victim known directly to the alleged perpetrator or to the elders. The direction given as per the quotes in the OP and the above quote show little evidence of there being a proactive stance taken to reporting someone who has committed the criminal offence of viewing child pornography.
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  so again my question based on the law of the land, should a young teen couple in NC be arrested, prosecuted and put on a sexual registry, because they sent naked pictures of each other to each other?

  That's a question for the authorities. It's up to them to determine how the state is going to deal with that.
  
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  According to Interpol, child pornography is "child sex abuse material". Someone should tell the WT that.

  Quite. With subjects as complex as this why the hell would they not want to engage with experts, get a suitable policy that reflects common and contemporary best practice and make it public? Why the hell would you not want the authorities involved to take the responsibility away?

  As organisations go the WTS should be in a good position. They have few activities where a parent or multiple adults are not present and to manage any risks they do have should be pretty straight-forward. They obviously have a pastoral side which means elders may come to know about an allegation but why they have to entangle the secular and religious I don't understand. It really shouldn't be this complex.

  
  
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  To be fair to RO, I think he plays devils advocate very well. I may not agree with him all of the time but there is generally a logic and reason to what he says and I don't think he should be dismissed simply on the basis that he may or may not be a WT apologist.

  He is right that there are grey areas but it is for the authorities to determine how they sort this out. It is true that it is possible for a teenager at 15 to be convicted under sex offences laws for consensual acts with another 15 yo however this is where the prosecuting agencies come in. Here in the UK it is the DPP that determines if a prosecution is in the public interest and it would be rare for an individual 15 YO to be criminalised for sexual activity for another 15 yo. A 15 YO and a 10 YO might be viewed differently. I know a case of a 16 YO and a 12 YO where the 16 YO was reported by his parents for some activity with the younger child and cautioned by the police.

  In all of this, there are guidelines for organisations to help them do the best they can however it seems that the WTS tries to go it alone every time.

  I don't see why the WT cannot go down a path of reporting an allegation of activity and let the authorities take the burden of responsibility. If there was a clear, publicly available policy then everyone would know where they stand. If two young people knew that their sexual activity would result in them being reported to the authorities then so be it. Other organisations make that call.

  Let the secular authorities do their job and let the elders and WTS do their thing without having to worry about making calls outside of their responsibilities.
• 
  48

  My Old Kingdom Hall being merged with TWO other congregations!

  by pale.emperor in

  1. watchtower
  2. scandals

  this can only be a good sign.. my old congregation in liverpool has had a lot of money in it's bank account for years.

  for a long, long time (almost 8 years) they've been looking for land to build a new hall.

  the one they're in now is literally falling to bits.

  1. 
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• 

  konceptual99

  Yet more news of consolidation. What the heck are the LDC doing as you never hear of a new hall actually being built...
• 
  9

  Article: Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to change two-witness rule because ‘that’s our stand’

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/jehovahs-witnesses-refuse-to-change-twowitness-rule-because-thats-our-stand/news-story/ee1f5bdd2561d99f6d1f608f039ee200.

  jehovah’s witnesses refuse to change two-witness rule because ‘that’s our stand’.

  rohan smithnews.com.au.

  1. 
  2. 
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  konceptual99

  If this was in their official policies it would be a start.
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  Don't worry - I found it.

  As expected it does not reference the authorities at all. Quite how they can assume someone who looks at kiddie porn should not be reported is beyond me.
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  Is the 2012 letter available as that may have additional instructions?
• 
  9

  Article: Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to change two-witness rule because ‘that’s our stand’

  by AndersonsInfo in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/jehovahs-witnesses-refuse-to-change-twowitness-rule-because-thats-our-stand/news-story/ee1f5bdd2561d99f6d1f608f039ee200.

  jehovah’s witnesses refuse to change two-witness rule because ‘that’s our stand’.

  rohan smithnews.com.au.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  They don't need to change the two witness rule. It's up to them how they run their own internal judicial matters. What they need to do is sort out their response to an allegation of a crime.

  It's very simple. Report an alleged crime to the authorities.
• 
  347

  ARC - Case Study 54 - All Exhibits have been released

  by jwleaks in

  1. watchtower
  2. child-abuse

  all exhibits for case study 54, jehovah's witnesses and watchtower, have been released by the arc.. http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/exhibits/10908a67-70c5-4103-94cc-dac096fdb585/case-study-54,-march-2017,-sydney.

  exhibit list.

  joint statement of o'brien and spinks.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  konceptual99

  I cannot believe they do not have a stronger policy on the viewing of child pornography. Well actually I can but I can't get my head around how they don't consider the reporting aspect given the scrutiny they are under.

  Just this week in the UK the family of April Jones were unsuccessful in getting their call for the life long registration of sex offenders put into law. One of the features of her case was that her murderer and abuser, Mark Bridger, had no convictions and was not on the register but had child porn on his computer.

  Viewing child porn is a crime yet once again elders are not being told to report and the branch assuming the role of expert in determining what risk the person poses.

  Does the letter referenced shed any more light on the process?