Posts by Watchtower-Free

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

Watchtower-Free

More on Campos................Bethel Elder fled to Mexico

http://jwsurvey.org/cedars-blog/license-to-harm-predator-gonzalo-campos-was-allowed-by-elders-to-prey-on-children

300

ALERT: NEW LAWSUIT settlement - $13 MILLION

by Watchtower-Free in

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135m-awarded-to-bible-teacher-gonzalo-campos-alleged-abuse-victim-jose-lopez-281031832.html.

(published thursday, oct 30, 2014).

thursday, oct 30, 2014 updated at 11:58 pm pdt.

Watchtower-Free

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135M-Awarded-to-Bible-Teacher-Gonzalo-Campos-Alleged-Abuse-Victim-Jose-Lopez-281031832.html

30, 2014. (Published Thursday, Oct 30, 2014)

Thursday, Oct 30, 2014 • Updated at 11:58 PM PDT

A $13.5 million judgment was awarded Wednesday to a San Diego man who says he was the childhood victim of “very aggressive abuse” at the hands of his Bible study teacher.

Jose Lopez, now 35 years old, came forward as one of eight children who accuse Gonzalo Campos of sexually abusing them between 1982 and 1995, according to his lawsuit.

Campos served in the leadership of the Linda Vista Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses and Playa Pacifica Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pacific Beach, Lopez’s attorney Irwin Zalkin told NBC 7.

In about 1986, when Lopez was 7 years old, Campos was first introduced and portrayed to him as a fatherly figure who could teach him about the Bible.

Instead, the accused perpetrator used his position and time alone with Lopez to groom him, according to Zalkin.

"After a period of grooming him, which Campos was very adept at, one day he took him and he seriously molested him in a private residence," he said.

The attorney believes Campos would take his victims to a home his mother cleaned in La Jolla.

Although the alleged molestation happened on one occasion, the high amount awarded by a judge reflects the severe consequences Lopez has faced as a result, including post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and trust issues, Zalkin explained.

But the lawsuit does not seek damages from Campos himself, or even the Linda Vista congregation.

Instead, it names the defendant as the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, the entity that oversees Jehovah’s Witness churches.

Zalkin said $10.5 million of the amount was for punitive damages as a result of the Watchtower’s response to the Campos scandal.

"Damages that reflect the reprehensible conduct of the Watchtower in how they covered this up for years and allowed multiple children to be injured,” said Zalkin. “They protected and harbored a criminal."

The Watchtower told NBC 7 it plans to appeal the judgment, saying the award given after a hearing at which it was barred from participating.

“Jehovah’s Witnesses abhor child abuse and strive to protect children from such acts,” the organization said in a statement. “The trial judge’s decision is a drastic action for any judge to take given the circumstances of the case. We will seek a full review of this case on appeal.”

As for Campos, Zalkin said he is in Mexico, where he moved as soon as they started investigating this case.

Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/135M-Awarded-to-Bible-Teacher-Gonzalo-Campos-Alleged-Abuse-Victim-Jose-Lopez-281031832.html#ixzz3Hiw0ilA0
Follow us: @nbcsandiego on Twitter | NBCSanDiego on Facebook

3

Has anyone a copy of the recent BOE about contributions to disaster fund?

by tezrichmond in

there was a boe recently (in last few weeks) about everyone in congregation contributing so much towards repairing kingdom hall's in emergencies, vandalism or disasters etc.

does anyone have a copy - i couldn't find it on here.. i want to do a video on this because they say they don't solicit funds but it was announced from the platform????

they might not be passing a collection plate around, but they're just doing it in a different way.. .

Watchtower-Free

87

Mental Disorders among JW's

by Blackfalcon98 in

hi everyone, im begining to notice patterns of mental issues in the congregations and among the witnesses as a group.

do you think this is a trend in the entire world or is it exagerated in this organization?.

.

Watchtower-Free

"Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness "Paperback

http://www.amazon.com/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Problem-Mental-Illness/dp/9993195286/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1414451952&sr=8-2&keywords=mental+illness+jehovahs+witnesses

Ex-JWs With PTSD
https://www.facebook.com/groups/exjwptsd/

14

Complex PTSD and Ex JW's

by JRK in

jw
friends

i have been diagnosed with complex ptsd by my therapist due to events of abandonment and abuse as a child.

the cult experience of being raised as one of jehovah's witness was a major factor.

i think that the sparlock video and the conti case has brought emotional flashbacks to some of us here, so i wanted to post information that i have found helpful.

Watchtower-Free

Ex-JWs With PTSD
https://www.facebook.com/groups/exjwptsd/

73

This weeks service meeting! More craziness.....

by stuckinarut2 in

so this weeks service meeting is so full of "crazy".

a whole 15 min part devoted to trying to indoctrinate everyone on how to "explain our beliefs on 1914".

then another 15 min part called "a tool to help us explain our beliefs about 1914".

Watchtower-Free

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1447453542181602

25

Listen to the Pilot Episode of JW Podcast

by God_Delusion in

jw
friends

hi guys,.

check out our first ever podcast here - http://www.jwpodcast.org/2014/10/19/s01e00-macclesfield-forest, or download this episode (right click and save).

it's finally here, our first ever jehovah's witness podcast!