Secrets and lies have no place when dealing with child abuse

.
When they kind of refer to the members..an this person as being nobody special..just members.. Reflect..that that is the gist of what was said..
IT kind of belittles the words that GOD commanded to feed ..care for his sheep... Saying that it was just an ordinary member..(Passing the buck) As it is the Church and those Elders put in charge that Paul spoke to when he informed them that they were resposible to keep the Church free of those that GOD..abhored.. The abhorance does not change because a person does or does not have a title.. It's still an abhorance to GOD.

That's a very good point. I have observed this. There are the cliques within even the small congregations. There is the group of elders and their wives, next is the m/s and their wives, and then the pioneers. They make up the people of importance in that order. Everyone else is just no one special. The wives of elders that suddenly are divorced or their mate dies, has a hard time finding their footing as someone who is no longer anyone special. Many feel very hurt. I've heard more than a few lament that they no longer matter.

Then you read what the GB has done to the elders. They aren't part of the governing body, so they aren't all that important. They are too often thrown under the bus. So it goes. No one stops to think that to Jehovah, everyone is important. But his opinion seems to be the least important of all. I'm not even sure he is real to some of the ones in power. They certainly do not appear to have a fear or respect for him. They want his fear and respect to be redirected to them. Many elders are good men, and do not even realize they do this.

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Return to: Blogs | Star Spangled Staggers
Star Spangled Staggers
US politics from outside the beltway

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Secrets and lies have no place when dealing with child abuse

Jehovah's Witnesses in the US ordered to pay $28m to abuse victim in landmark ruling
By Caroline Crampton Published 18 June 2012 12:08

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Jehovah's Witnesses sing at a ceremony in France
Jehovah's Witnesses sing at a ceremony in France. Photograph: Getty Images

A legal landmark has been passed in the US, and not the good kind – the largest-ever jury verdict for a single victim in a religious child abuse case was handed down in California. Candace Conti, who was molested when she was nine and ten years old by a fellow member of the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received $28 million in damages.

Recognition and reparation for such a horrible experience is surely a good thing, right? In part that is true – Conti has chosen to make her story public in the hope that “something good can come out of it”, she says. However, the case wasn’t just about Conti’s own experience, terrible as that undoubtedly was.

A substantial part of her allegations dealt with claims that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York (the organisation that oversees the Jehovah’s Witnesses) had adopted a policy in 1989 that instructed congregation leaders to keep child abuse allegations secret. This meant that when Conti's abuser from the 1990s, Jonathan Kendrick, was convicted in 2004 of molesting another girl, the elders at the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses did nothing to prevent him coming into contact with other kids at the church.

The sheer scale of the damages awarded to Conti reflect the gravity of this situation. While Kendrick has been ordered topay 60 per cent of the $7 million compensatory damages, the Watchtower Society must cover the remaining 40 per cent of the compensatory damages and all of the $21 million punitive damages.

Over and over again, we’ve had stories of Catholic bishops and other office-holders in the Roman Catholic church refraining from reporting allegations of abuse to civil authorities. Now, this unfortunate legal landmark demonstrates that this behaviour has occurred in at least one other religious institution, and that it won’t go unpunished when it is exposed.

Jim McCabe, a lawyer for the Jehovah’s Witness congregation, said that they plan to appeal the decision, contending that Kendrick was just a member of the North Fremont congregation, not a leader or pastor. He said:“This is a tragic case where a member of a religious group has brought liability on the group for actions he alone may have taken.”

Had the secrecy around Kendrick’s 2004 conviction not been put in place, that might have been a semi-valid point – demonising a whole faith and community because of individual incidents is absolutely not what this is about. That said, it’s the idea that a church-wide policy enforced the silence that is so disturbing. Traumatic as this case will certainly have been for many involved, part of me can’t help hoping that it sets a precedent and we see many more like it come to light, until every institution, religious or otherwise, understands that hiding things like this is much, much worse than exposing them – for everyone.

A legal landmark has been passed in the US, and not the good kind – the largest-ever jury verdict for a single victim in a religious child abuse case was handed down in California. Candace Conti, who was molested when she was nine and ten years old by a fellow member of the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, received $28 million in damages.

Recognition and reparation for such a horrible experience is surely a good thing, right? In part that is true – Conti has chosen to make her story public in the hope that “something good can come out of it”, she says. However, the case wasn’t just about Conti’s own experience, terrible as that undoubtedly was.

A substantial part of her allegations dealt with claims that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York (the organisation that oversees the Jehovah’s Witnesses) had adopted a policy in 1989 that instructed congregation leaders to keep child abuse allegations secret. This meant that when Conti's abuser from the 1990s, Jonathan Kendrick, was convicted in 2004 of molesting another girl, the elders at the North Fremont Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses did nothing to prevent him coming into contact with other kids at the church.

The sheer scale of the damages awarded to Conti reflect the gravity of this situation. While Kendrick has been ordered topay 60 per cent of the $7 million compensatory damages, the Watchtower Society must cover the remaining 40 per cent of the compensatory damages and all of the $21 million punitive damages.

Over and over again, we’ve had stories of Catholic bishops and other office-holders in the Roman Catholic church refraining from reporting allegations of abuse to civil authorities. Now, this unfortunate legal landmark demonstrates that this behaviour has occurred in at least one other religious institution, and that it won’t go unpunished when it is exposed.

Jim McCabe, a lawyer for the Jehovah’s Witness congregation, said that they plan to appeal the decision, contending that Kendrick was just a member of the North Fremont congregation, not a leader or pastor. He said:“This is a tragic case where a member of a religious group has brought liability on the group for actions he alone may have taken.”

Had the secrecy around Kendrick’s 2004 conviction not been put in place, that might have been a semi-valid point – demonising a whole faith and community because of individual incidents is absolutely not what this is about. That said, it’s the idea that a church-wide policy enforced the silence that is so disturbing. Traumatic as this case will certainly have been for many involved, part of me can’t help hoping that it sets a precedent and we see many more like it come to light, until every institution, religious or otherwise, understands that hiding things like this is much, much worse than exposing them – for everyone.

maybe now the elders will see this.. they will be thrown under the bus especially if they say they were following the rules of the org.. how many elders will it take to be sued until they realize the big guys don't give a darn about them...

why is it if a spouse dies...it is difficult for them? this sounds very cold not as a religion would behave.?? just curious.. thanks.

Nice to see that even those who try and have an open mind and are clueless about the abuses of children in the Jehovah's witness cult, and disgusted by the protections of male pedophile Jehovah's witnesses over the safety, health and welfare for the innocent children of brainwashed cult members.

comeuppance wrote:

That's a very good point. I have observed this. There are the cliques within even the small congregations. There is the group of elders and their wives, next is the m/s and their wives, and then the pioneers. They make up the people of importance in that order. Everyone else is just no one special. The wives of elders that suddenly are divorced or their mate dies, has a hard time finding their footing as someone who is no longer anyone special. Many feel very hurt. I've heard more than a few lament that they no longer matter.
Then you read what the GB has done to the elders. They aren't part of the governing body, so they aren't all that important. They are too often thrown under the bus. So it goes. No one stops to think that to Jehovah, everyone is important. But his opinion seems to be the least important of all. I'm not even sure he is real to some of the ones in power. They certainly do not appear to have a fear or respect for him. They want his fear and respect to be redirected to them. Many elders are good men, and do not even realize they do this.

.
. The bible explains to them about that very thing.. Illustrating those that set the prominant bejeweled in the front row.. And the poor person in the back.. Brings to mind the words..( When I was hungry ..you fed me.. And naked you clothed me) Meaning that loving kindness was given to those in need.. And (Jesus.).likened these hungry ..and naked people to himself. In compassion.

unlisted wrote:

maybe now the elders will see this.. they will be thrown under the bus especially if they say they were following the rules of the org.. how many elders will it take to be sued until they realize the big guys don't give a darn about them...
why is it if a spouse dies...it is difficult for them? this sounds very cold not as a religion would behave.?? just curious.. thanks.

. Because ..as a single person they no longer fit the criteria of the clique they were in.. Odd man out.

I suspect there will be a rash of elders that will step down for various personal reasons.

I completely agree with what you have said, Maravilla.

"They will be known by their love."

comeuppance wrote:

I suspect there will be a rash of elders that will step down for various personal reasons.
I completely agree with what you have said, Maravilla.
"They will be known by their love."

I have a feeling that will happen to.
Who wants their name on a judgement as an accessory to the sexual assault of a child???

I know that if I were still going to the hall, and my husband were still and elder, I would be begging him to step down. I would't want him possibly put in that situation.

Sheesh, sorry for all the typos. I guess I'll blame the keyboard. LOL

I love how they keep saying he was just a congregant. But aren't baptized publishers considered ministers? Isn't he a minister of the JW faith?

MixedMedia wrote:

I love how they keep saying he was just a congregant. But aren't baptized publishers considered ministers? Isn't he a minister of the JW faith?

Yes, there are no distinctions.
ALL baptized Jehovah's Witnesses are ministers.
Guess they are pulling the CYA now, and pretending that they are like churches where not all members attend regularly.
If you don't attend or put in your hours you are kicked out.
So this pervert was spending no less than 10 hours a month trespassing and casing homes for children, while selling Watchtowers

MixedMedia wrote:

I love how they keep saying he was just a congregant. But aren't baptized publishers considered ministers? Isn't he a minister of the JW faith?

its not about who he was.... the jw pr reps are trying to divert the attention to just HIM ..... its mostly about how the jw leadership handled it all.... they SILENCED HER.... that is what this is all about..... 28 million because SILENCING THE VICTIM is a proven pattern among the jw top leadership.

they attempt to do it to every single victim that comes forward... some slip through, and go to the police, but most jw members obey, and are thus silenced in the name of god.

they don't even come forward until years later when they wake up.

...THIS ISSUE..is everywhere...in ''many other'' institutions,too....eh...SAD,y es....

paul-- there are some here who have trashed and trashed all other religions for the same reason..now this org can no longer hide.. those who were jws and were harmed can now come forward.

does anyone think the governing body of men in NY will step down?

as for elders.. yes. they should step down because this org will throw them to the dogs. they don't care about the elders. they don't care.. and i am sure many elders are hard working men with families who could not afford a lawyer if this happened in their kh..

and if any of you are friends still with men who are elders please tell them this case proves the big old men in NY do not give a darn about them

red blood relative wrote:

<quoted text>its not about who he was.... the jw pr reps are trying to divert the attention to just HIM ..... its mostly about how the jw leadership handled it all.... they SILENCED HER.... that is what this is all about..... 28 million because SILENCING THE VICTIM is a proven pattern among the jw top leadership.

they attempt to do it to every single victim that comes forward... some slip through, and go to the police, but most jw members obey, and are thus silenced in the name of god.

they don't even come forward until years later when they wake up.

Yes rbr I agree great post.

unlisted wrote:

paul-- there are some here who have trashed and trashed all other religions for the same reason..now this org can no longer hide.. those who were jws and were harmed can now come forward.
does anyone think the governing body of men in NY will step down?
as for elders.. yes. they should step down because this org will throw them to the dogs. they don't care about the elders. they don't care.. and i am sure many elders are hard working men with families who could not afford a lawyer if this happened in their kh..
and if any of you are friends still with men who are elders please tell them this case proves the big old men in NY do not give a darn about them

...good..pointer's,here....pon dering...thankyou's....GOD Bless...shalom...(+)...

VERY informative and interesting article! Thanks so much for posting it!