Posts by Tahoe

5

Westmoreland County man charged in latest Jehovah's Witness sex abuse case

by Tahoe in

link to article .

a westmoreland man was recently charged with sexually assaulting and molesting a young girl by a statewide grand jury that has been investigating sex abuse among elders in jehovah’s witness congregations across pennsylvania for years.. ronald w. mangone, 69, who was a member of the jehovah’s witness congregation in new kensington, allegedly abused the girl beginning at the age of 6 from 1991 to 1994, according to a police complaint filed april 2.. a second girl also was allegedly sexually abused by the suspect in the late 1980s, but law enforcement agents say they were unable to charge him because the statute of limitations had expired.. mr. mangone now faces three felony charges and five misdemeanor charges for sexually assaulting and endangering a minor.

he is the latest suspect in a wide-ranging investigation that has so far led to the arrests of at least 14 others from jehovah’s witness congregations on similar charges since 2022.. “what's going on in pennsylvania has much much broader implications,” said mark o’donnell, a longtime advocate for sexual assault victims in the congregations and a witness who has appeared before the grand jury.. the sweeping investigation in pennsylvania, launched by the attorney general’s office in 2019, is the first to target jehovah’s witness groups in what has been described by some law enforcement agents as a longstanding problem within the religious organization... “it’s groundbreaking,” mr. o’donnell said.

Tahoe

Link to article

A Westmoreland man was recently charged with sexually assaulting and molesting a young girl by a statewide grand jury that has been investigating sex abuse among elders in Jehovah’s Witness congregations across Pennsylvania for years.

Ronald W. Mangone, 69, who was a member of the Jehovah’s Witness congregation in New Kensington, allegedly abused the girl beginning at the age of 6 from 1991 to 1994, according to a police complaint filed April 2.

A second girl also was allegedly sexually abused by the suspect in the late 1980s, but law enforcement agents say they were unable to charge him because the statute of limitations had expired.

Mr. Mangone now faces three felony charges and five misdemeanor charges for sexually assaulting and endangering a minor.

He is the latest suspect in a wide-ranging investigation that has so far led to the arrests of at least 14 others from Jehovah’s Witness congregations on similar charges since 2022.

“What's going on in Pennsylvania has much much broader implications,” said Mark O’Donnell, a longtime advocate for sexual assault victims in the congregations and a witness who has appeared before the grand jury.

The sweeping investigation in Pennsylvania, launched by the attorney general’s office in 2019, is the first to target Jehovah’s Witness groups in what has been described by some law enforcement agents as a longstanding problem within the religious organization..

“It’s groundbreaking,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “This really hasn't been done in other states.”

Records show that Western Pennsylvania is “right in the epicenter,” he said, pointing to reports that show eight of the 15 alleged perpetrators charged so far from Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Cambria and Westmoreland counties.

In 2022, a man from Butler County — Eric E. Eleam — was arrested on charges of rape and sexual assault of minors. When police appeared at his home to arrest him, he shot and killed himself before he could be taken into custody.

Jehovah’s Witness congregations have a long history in the region. The religious organization was founded in Pittsburgh in the late 19th century with a small group of Bible students. Soon, their ranks grew to thousands — and now millions — across the country.

A preliminary hearing for Mr. Mangone is scheduled for May 30.

3

NZ Article: Abuse in care inquiry: Jehovah's Witness church appeals dismissal of bid for exclusion

by Tahoe in

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/511603/abuse-in-care-inquiry-jehovah-s-witness-church-appeals-dismissal-of-bid-for-exclusion .

the jehovah's witness church is appealing the high court's dismissal of its legal bid to get out of being part of the abuse in care inquiry.. the high court in wellington dismissed its application for a judicial review in october after a three-year behind-the-scenes battle between the church and the inquiry.. a hearing is set for 21 march in the court of appeal in wellington.. in a letter to survivors today, the inquiry said it could not comment further as the matter was before the court, but it would have wellbeing support available at the hearing for survivors who attend.. the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses australasia said it considered the high court judgment "contained errors of law which is seeks to challenge".. "given the matter is again active litigation, it is not appropriate for ccjwa to disclose anything further at this point," it said in a statement.. the church sought a judicial review to be exempt from the inquiry, arguing it was beyond the inquiry's scope because it did not run institutions that cared for children or vulnerable people.. in her judgment, justice ellis said the jehovah's witness church did not have a "fundamental right to avoid scrutiny".. the church's claim that its policies prevented elders - who are like ministers - from spending time alone with children, was also thrown out by ellis, who said evidence provided to the inquiry, and from overseas, showed otherwise.. the inquiry's scope was expanded to include faith-based institutions in november 2018 after lobbying from religious groups and survivors.

the jehovah's witness faith is the only group to oppose being involved, culminating in its application for a judicial review in may 2023..

Tahoe

From Reddit:

3

NZ Article: Abuse in care inquiry: Jehovah's Witness church appeals dismissal of bid for exclusion

by Tahoe in

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/511603/abuse-in-care-inquiry-jehovah-s-witness-church-appeals-dismissal-of-bid-for-exclusion .

the jehovah's witness church is appealing the high court's dismissal of its legal bid to get out of being part of the abuse in care inquiry.. the high court in wellington dismissed its application for a judicial review in october after a three-year behind-the-scenes battle between the church and the inquiry.. a hearing is set for 21 march in the court of appeal in wellington.. in a letter to survivors today, the inquiry said it could not comment further as the matter was before the court, but it would have wellbeing support available at the hearing for survivors who attend.. the christian congregation of jehovah's witnesses australasia said it considered the high court judgment "contained errors of law which is seeks to challenge".. "given the matter is again active litigation, it is not appropriate for ccjwa to disclose anything further at this point," it said in a statement.. the church sought a judicial review to be exempt from the inquiry, arguing it was beyond the inquiry's scope because it did not run institutions that cared for children or vulnerable people.. in her judgment, justice ellis said the jehovah's witness church did not have a "fundamental right to avoid scrutiny".. the church's claim that its policies prevented elders - who are like ministers - from spending time alone with children, was also thrown out by ellis, who said evidence provided to the inquiry, and from overseas, showed otherwise.. the inquiry's scope was expanded to include faith-based institutions in november 2018 after lobbying from religious groups and survivors.

the jehovah's witness faith is the only group to oppose being involved, culminating in its application for a judicial review in may 2023..

Tahoe

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/511603/abuse-in-care-inquiry-jehovah-s-witness-church-appeals-dismissal-of-bid-for-exclusion

The Jehovah's Witness church is appealing the high court's dismissal of its legal bid to get out of being part of the Abuse in Care Inquiry.

The High Court in Wellington dismissed its application for a judicial review in October after a three-year behind-the-scenes battle between the church and the inquiry.

A hearing is set for 21 March in the Court of Appeal in Wellington.

In a letter to survivors today, the inquiry said it could not comment further as the matter was before the court, but it would have wellbeing support available at the hearing for survivors who attend.

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses Australasia said it considered the High Court judgment "contained errors of law which is seeks to challenge".

"Given the matter is again active litigation, it is not appropriate for CCJWA to disclose anything further at this point," it said in a statement.

The church sought a judicial review to be exempt from the inquiry, arguing it was beyond the inquiry's scope because it did not run institutions that cared for children or vulnerable people.

In her judgment, Justice Ellis said the Jehovah's Witness church did not have a "fundamental right to avoid scrutiny".

The church's claim that its policies prevented elders - who are like ministers - from spending time alone with children, was also thrown out by Ellis, who said evidence provided to the inquiry, and from overseas, showed otherwise.

The inquiry's scope was expanded to include faith-based institutions in November 2018 after lobbying from religious groups and survivors. The Jehovah's Witness faith is the only group to oppose being involved, culminating in its application for a judicial review in May 2023.

6

Elder Ernest Fyans will serve 20 years in prison for SA

by Tahoe in

https://youtu.be/zq6cnuulvsg?si=ie1rhvguvzjney30

Tahoe

https://youtu.be/ZQ6CnUULVSg?si=Ie1rhvguvZJnEy30

10

Article: Pa. courts weigh whether Jehovah's Witnesses elders must report confessed child abuse

by AndersonsInfo in

https://pennrecord.com/stories/654791353-pa-courts-weigh-whether-jehovah-s-witnesses-elders-must-report-confessed-child-abuse.

harrisburg – after the commonwealth court of pennsylvania dismissed a petition from a group of jehovah’s witnesses nearly two years ago, which argued the confidentiality of their confessions shielded them from being mandatory reporters of child abuse, the supreme court of pennsylvania overruled their colleagues and decided the commonwealth court must re-examine the action.. in a 24-page memorandum opinion authored by state supreme court chief justice debra todd and handed down feb. 13, the court found that their commonwealth court contemporaries violated the coordinate jurisdiction rule – which states “judges of coordinate jurisdiction sitting in the same case should not overrule each other’s decisions” – by its initial pair of separate findings that ivy hill congregation of jehovah’s witnesses did not have proper standing against the commonwealth’s department of human services, and that a grant of declaratory relief would not terminate the legal controversy.. todd was joined in the opinion by supreme court of pennsylvania justices christine donohue, kevin m. dougherty, david n. wecht and sallie updyke mundy.

justices p. kevin brobson and daniel mccaffery did not participate in the consideration or decision of this matter.. “appellant is a congregation of approximately 140 individuals in philadelphia, pennsylvania, who follow the tenets of the jehovah’s witnesses religion.

Tahoe

Thank you Ms. Barbara!

57

Lines you would never hear from a Jehovah's Witness

by Ron.W. in

a slightly tongue in cheek, but also serious roundup of jw speak and why trying to reason with them is like trying to chip through concrete with a plastic spoon.. how many can you think of??.

elder: 'yes.

i read through the material you asked me to at your judicial meeting - you're right we're both in a cult!

Tahoe

“I’m majoring in Paleontology”

22

Oh boy: 1,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses reach out to Super Bowl fans in Las Vegas

by Tahoe in

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/02/09/1000-jehovahs-witnesses-reach-out-super-bowl-fans-las-vegas/ .

1000 lit-up carts at 50 strategic locations near the stadium and on the strip.

.

Tahoe

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2024/02/09/1000-jehovahs-witnesses-reach-out-super-bowl-fans-las-vegas/

1000 lit-up carts at 50 strategic locations near the stadium and on the strip.

16

Murder JW Style (True Crime)

by Tahoe in

a home remodeling job in england that went wildly wrong:.

a builder who bludgeoned his client to death with a hammer in a row over her new extension has been jailed for at least 15 years for murder.. peter norgrove killed sharon gordon at her home on 20 july last year.. her daughter rhian brown said norgrove acted like a "wolf in sheep's clothing" after earning her trust at the church they attended in dudley.. wolverhampton crown court heard he led the jehovah's witness service the same night he killed mrs gordon.. he repeatedly lied to her about the work he was doing, which took 15 months instead of six weeks.. .

"he didn't have the experience to be doing the work he was doing," miss brown said.. "he took full payment for the extension in advance, which we believe to be more than £30,000.".

Tahoe

A home remodeling job in England that went wildly wrong:

A builder who bludgeoned his client to death with a hammer in a row over her new extension has been jailed for at least 15 years for murder.

Peter Norgrove killed Sharon Gordon at her home on 20 July last year.

Her daughter Rhian Brown said Norgrove acted like a "wolf in sheep's clothing" after earning her trust at the church they attended in Dudley.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard he led the Jehovah's Witness service the same night he killed Mrs Gordon.

He repeatedly lied to her about the work he was doing, which took 15 months instead of six weeks.

"He didn't have the experience to be doing the work he was doing," Miss Brown said.

"He took full payment for the extension in advance, which we believe to be more than £30,000."

Mrs Gordon fitted a video doorbell to her home to prove that Norgrove had been lying about the times he was claiming to carry out work.

"He drove my Mom mad with stress and anxiety - she noted everything down," said Miss Brown.

"She had notebooks, receipts, everything, because of how bad this man's workmanship was."

The court heard Norgrove became furious when quizzed by his client and hit her eight times in the head with a lump hammer.

"The level of violence was horrendous," Miss Brown said. "We couldn't believe what we were hearing.

"'What do you mean she's dead?' I thought.

"My son was saying 'where is my nanny?' He was due to sleep over there that weekend."

Norgrove, 43, of Bromford Road, Sedgley, claimed to police he had left the property the previous day, but bloodstained items were found in a wheelie bin at a family address and a lump hammer discovered in his mother-in-law's shed.

Miss Brown said her mother was introduced to Norgrove at the Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses in Dudley but after being recommended to her, it emerged he was a newly-qualified bricklayer.

"This man deceived a lot of people," she said.

"He had the security net of being of this faith and hid who he really was.

"It doesn't matter what community you are in, you can have bad individuals.

"I use the phrase 'a wolf in sheep's clothing' and that's exactly what he's been able to do."

Mrs Gordon's sister Hilary, who lives in Australia, said in a victim impact statement her death had left "darkness and an indescribable pain".

"It's affected our sense of family, and robbed us of our future," she added.

Builder Peter Norgrove jailed for killing client in extension row

3

Article: Jehovah’s Witnesses Release Digital Brochure to Mark World Holocaust Day

by Tahoe in

as the world com- memorated the 97th international holocaust remembrance day (also known as world holocaust day or ihrd) yesterday, one of the groups targeted by the nazi regime, jehovah’s witnesses, has said it should not be lost on the world that they were among the first to be sent to the death camp.. accordingly, as conferences and exhibitions related to the 79th anniversary of the auschwitz liberation take place around the world, jehovah’s witnesses have released a 32-page digital brochure titled: “purple triangles – “forgotten victims” of the nazi regime”.

in a statement, the national spokesman of the witnesses in nigeria, mr. olusegun eroyemi said the group then referred to as bible students, suffered inhumane treatment at the auschwitz- birkenau concentration camp by the nazi regime “solely on the basis of their religious convictions.. “during its nearly five years of operation, auschwitz expanded to include a concentration camp, a forced-labor camp, and an extermination camp, as well as over 40 subcamps.

here, the nazi regime carried out some of the most agonizing human rights abuses against millions of jews, as well as poles, slavs, roman and sinti, homosexuals, and people with disabilities, among others.

Tahoe

As the world com- memorated the 97th International Holocaust Remembrance Day (also known as World Holocaust Day or IHRD) yesterday, one of the groups targeted by the Nazi regime, Jehovah’s Witnesses, has said it should not be lost on the world that they were among the first to be sent to the Death Camp.

Accordingly, as conferences and exhibitions related to the 79th anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation take place around the world, Jehovah’s Witnesses have released a 32-page digital brochure titled: “Purple Triangles – “Forgotten Victims” of the Nazi Regime”. In a statement, the National Spokesman of the Witnesses in Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Eroyemi said the group then referred to as Bible Students, suffered inhumane treatment at the Auschwitz- Birkenau Concentration Camp by the Nazi regime “solely on the basis of their religious convictions.

“During its nearly five years of operation, Auschwitz expanded to include a concentration camp, a forced-labor camp, and an extermination camp, as well as over 40 subcamps. Here, the Nazi regime carried out some of the most agonizing human rights abuses against millions of Jews, as well as Poles, Slavs, Roman and Sinti, homosexuals, and people with disabilities, among others. Some 400 Jehovah’s Witnesses of various nationalities, including Polish and German, were also among those victimized at the infamous camp. Four gas chambers claimed as many as 6,000 prisoners’ lives daily.

“A purple-triangle patch stitched near the prisoner number on the left side of uniforms identified Jehovah’s Witnesses who were imprisoned, not for their national or ethnic identity, but for their religious beliefs. “The Nazis offered them freedom if they would renounce their Christian faith and support the regime. Yet, they had the courage to stick to Chris- tian values—loyalty to God and love for others.”

https://newtelegraphng.com/jehovahs-witnesses-release-digital-brochure-to-mark-world-holocaust-day/

18

Elder’s House is on the Market….let’s peek into his bedroom

by Tahoe in

jw
friends

.

Tahoe

Finally!