Posted by Mike W. on April 05, 2002 at 14:20:51:
SOURCES ALLEGE 23,720 CHILD MOLESTORS IN WATCHTOWER DATABASE: From Bill Bowen:
"IN the last two weeks I have been contacted by two different sources who claim they have an inside contact who researched and discovered the figure of 23, 720 child molesters on file in Patterson NY. This is the home office of the Service and Legal Departments of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society who represents all Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide. It is interesting to note the ramifications of this number. When a pedophile is revealed within the congregation the Body of Elders appoints two of their number to investigate the allegation to see if there is substance to the charge. Upon investigation if the claim is established then the local Body of Elders appoint two of their number to call WT Legal to report the matter. When this phone call is made WT Legal then fills out a computerized form in a question and answer format over the telephone. All details of the matter are recorded including the date of birth of the pedophile, what happened, the age of the children, where they were touched, when they were touched, how many times, etc..
This great detail is placed in WT computers on a permanent basis and recalled at any time there is a future infraction. At the end of the one to two hour interview WT Legal then puts a WT lawyer on the telephone to determine if the State in which the elders reside is a reporting State. If it is a reporting State the lawyer will encourage the elders to ask the parents to report the matter. If the parents do not, then the elders are required to do so. What if you are in one of the thirty-six non-reporting States? The WT lawyer says, “Brothers your obligation has been fulfilled.” At which point in most cases the matter is not reported. The brother at WT Legal then continues with a series of BOE letters on child molestation to review and then gives the instruction if any new matters develop with this person please use the date of this report as a reference point or the child molester’s date of birth. When new “information” develops, that is when they molest more children the elders simply call and WT Legal can easily pull up the case and add new information.
The number of 23,720 is significant to say the least. It appears that this may apply to the USA alone. If that is the case then that means one out of every forty-two Jehovah’s Witnesses is a child molester on file with WT. If you apply this to the entire organization then you would have a figure of one out of two hundred and sixty Jehovah’s Witnesses is a child molester on file with WT. Do you think the Catholics have a ratio at any point near that proportion? A more sobering thought would be how many are not reported? If the two elders who investigate are not able to establish the matter at the mouth of “two eye witnesses” do they record anything at Patterson NY? If you note the letter to all BOE in England, dated 6-1-01, this comment is made,
__________________________________________________________________
'There are, however, many other situations that are connected with the abuse of a child. For example, there may be just one eyewitness, and the brother denies the allegation. (Deuteronomy 19:15; John 8:17) Then again, a young child might be abused by someone who himself is a minor, perhaps in his pre- or early-teens. In these and similar cases no entry will be made on the Child Protection List. Rather, information should be kept in a sealed envelope in the congregation’s confidential file as described below. When such individuals move, the Congregation Service Committee should write a letter addressed to the Society’s Legal Department seeking advice as to whether to communicate the details to the new congregation.'
__________________________________________________________________
The indication would be the local congregation keeps the information and only if the accused molester moves then would any consideration be given to checking with WT Legal or even alerting the new congregation. Are these individuals considered part of the 23,720 molesters on file? If not, then the logical conclusions would be there are far more accused child molesters than the 23,720 on file who have either confessed or been convicted at the mouth of 'two eye witnesses.' At the most conservative estimation taking into account the number of congregations worldwide at 93,154 it would mean one child molester for every four congregations just based on the 23,720 figure. If the number applied only to the United States, then with 11,582 congregations nationwide its gives a figure of about two molesters per congregation, again based only on the 23,720 number. Do you think Jehovah’s Witnesses have a problem with child molesters? Do you believe Catholics have anywhere close to a similar ratio? How many unreported child molesters are operating within the organization and are yet to be revealed?
This number will only continue to grow with greater veracity as WT Policy continues to create the “pedophile paradise” where children are exposed to danger by these people being unknown in the congregation. I wonder if the FBI knew these files existed how they would view the record keeping of criminal activity at which the majority are not reported for prosecution. Could the American justice system handle the prosecution of several thousand Jehovah’s Witness pedophiles? These questions as well as the numerous questions not mentioned will become a factor when Watchtower comes clean with how many of the suggested 23,720 criminals are being protected by WT Policy."