More Watchtower News and TV airings (pedophiles) -- The Word Was God

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Date Posted: 15:34:44 07/04/02 Thu
Author: Stan
Author Host/IP: 209.77.65.13
Subject: More Watchtower News and TV airings (pedophiles)

PRESS RELEASE FROM SILENTLAMBS. DISTRIBUTE FREELY TO EDITORS, PUBLIC, JWS: Tuesday, July 1

Contact:

William H. Bowen at: 270-527-5350, www.silentlambs.org Jeff Anderson (attorney) 651-227-9990, 612-817-8665 David Clohessy 314-869-7436 ext. 2426, 314-903-3498 pager

More Sexual Abuse Suits Against Jehovah's Witnesses Will Follow, Predicts Ex-Church Elder & Legal Expert

Two Eye Witnesses Not Enough Says Church Elders to Victim

”Pedophile Paradise” Gains Further Confirmation By Lawsuit

A federal civil sexual abuse lawsuit is being filed this week in St Paul, Minnesota against the Brooklyn-based Jehovah's Witness organization is the third in a series of many more, according to the leader of a nationwide support group for church members who have been abused by Jehovah Witness members and leaders. A plaintiff's attorney who has represented more than 500 people who were molested by clergy agrees.

Dozens more victims of other abusive church leaders may file similar suits, they predict.

Today, a 22 year old Minneapolis woman, Heidi Meyer is suing the Jehovah's Witness member who repeatedly abused her and the New York-based denomination which "routinely" gives pedophiles "sanctuary, protection, sympathy and support," the suit claims. Derek Lindala of the Annandale Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses was reported but never convicted molesting Meyer from age
11-13.

The case is significant because it is one of a relatively small number filed against the Jehovah's Witnesses' national headquarters.

When she approached elders at 15 years of age with the allegations of abuse they required an internal investigation after which Meyer was told it was a misunderstanding on her part. Meyer was then told the reason was due to organizational policy of the requirement to have two eye witnesses to each event of molestation and threatened her with disfellowshipping if she told anyone about the molestation. This was after a friend (Jane Doe) had come forward with previous allegations of abuse from the same person along with other victims in the congregation. Landala remains a member in good standing with the congregation.

One of Meyers' attorney’s in the case, Jeffrey Anderson of St. Paul Minnesota, has filed more sexual abuse suits against religious bodies than any other legal expert. "The two witness rule is an absurd requirement and it certainly puts children in harms’ way." he said.

"Our denomination is now where the Catholic Church was 20 years ago - right on the edge of a crisis," said William H. Bowen of Calvert City, Kentucky. A former church elder in his local congregation and a Jehovah's Witness for 43 years, Bowen now heads "silentlambs," a national self-help group for men and women molested by Jehovah's Witness members. (www.silentlambs.org,
1-877-WTABUSE) He resigned as Presiding Overseer to support victims and push the denomination's leaders to respond more sympathetically to abuse victims and turn over alleged molesters to the criminal justice system.

"In the Dateline program I called Jehovah’s Witnesses a “pedophile paradise”, the allegations made by Heidi is just one more confirmation of that fact. We have had numerous reports in every single state and several foreign countries of mishandled cases of child abuse directed by home office.

Repressive and insular church policies, a rigid hierarchy and a strong emphasis on obeying church authorities combine to "trap victims in a cult of silence," Bowen believes. Members of other faith groups who are abused are more apt to speak up and consult attorneys or turn to police, he feels.

While the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters maintains extensive internal files on accused molesters within the church, they refuse to make public this information. In many cases, they do not report the crime to police, Bowen said. As a result, no solid figures exist on the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who have been accused of sexual molestation.

"Whatever that number is, you can be sure it's going to start growing quickly and dramatically," said Bowen. "Victims are starting to discover that the church can no longer bully them into silence."

The denomination has one million members in the United States and six million across the world.

DATELINE DOCUMENTARY AIRS IN EUROPE JULY 6, 2002: The Dateline documentary about the pedophile coverup by the Watchtower Society will be shown on CNBC Europe this Saturday (6th July) at 2345 GMT. Europeans residents who cannot get Sky satellite will need to get the channel via the Astra 1E satellite: 10729.00MHz Vertical. A map shows that the broadcast should cover most of Ireland, all England, France, Germany, most of Spain, much of Portugal, most of Denmark and Italy, all the Czech Reublic, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, reach into a little of Poland, besides Denmark possibly into the very southern parts of Scandinavia. CNBC is also available on Cable. Some in the UK have NTL and get that channel. They put two shows back to back on CNBC Europe, starting at midnight but hopefully it will be the earlier show.

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Re: More Watchtower News and TV airings (pedophiles) -- Rev. Jack Howell, 16:21:58 07/04/02 Thu

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