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Posted by Anovagrrl on June 23, 2012 at 08:20:04
In Reply to: Re: Jerry Sandusky, Catholic Official (NT) posted by Wants to Know Too on June 23, 2012 at 00:16:43:
I doubt a criminal case could be successfully mounted against Karen & Peter in the US. One issue is determining the jurisdiction of the crimes they committed--unless a case could be made that Berg & Company perpetrated on kids while living in the US, there's no jurisdiction in this country. Second, statute of limitations: In the US, it's run out on many of the crimes they committed.
I think there could be a successful civil case if a group of victims were willing to pursue it long enough. A civil case would award the victims millions for damages, as happened recently with a case in North Carolina involving the Jehovah Witnesses.
One problem with suing TFI is knowing where Karen & Peter's deep pockets are hidden. The above ground financial arms of the organization--e.g., FCF or Activated--can't be directly linked to K&P. Also, what state would the suit be filed in? They don't have a permanent residence, or I should say, their property is listed in the names of faithful disciples. File a civil suit for damages in Arizona, and POOF! out come the flee bags and they're off to some third world country.
A successful civil case for several million dollars was settled against Berg the COG in the late 1970s in Columbus, Ohio. This may have been part of the reason for the "disbanding" and reorganization as The Family.
Unlike the Catholics & Jehovah Witnesses--or even Jerry Sandusky--TFI leadership always understood they were a criminal organization involved in illegal activities--of course, they framed their criminal status as being "selah" and "enemies of the anti-christ"--but the net effect is that they operated a lot like the mafia and were able to successfully evade legal consequences.
This is one reason I choose to believe in a higher power that will ultimately bring justice. Call it the law of karma or a just God, but I personally need the peace of mind that comes with believing that at the end of the day evildoers will not prevail, especially those who do evil in God's name. For those who can't embrace that kind of belief, I encourage with the thought that "living well is the best revenge." I wish Rick could have grabbed onto something like that instead of where he went with his despair over living to see his mother brought to justice.
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