IICSA Inquiry - Child Protection in Religious Organisations and Settings 10 August 2020

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/20893/view/public-hearing-transcript-10-august-2020.pdf

✔@InquiryCSA

The transcript for Day 12 of the Child Protection in #ReligiousOrganisationsandSettings public hearing has now been published: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/20893/view/public-hearing-transcript-10-august-2020.pdf …

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

@4Jah2me https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/aug/10/former-jehovahs-witness-elders-call-for-mandatory-reporting-of-child-sexual-abuse

Former Jehovah's Witness elders call for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse

Two former Jehovah’s Witness elders have called for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse, saying the organisation believes it is “answerable only to God”.

Duncan Corbett, who was an elder for 18 years, told the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse that the protection of minors and the handling of abuse claims must be taken out of the church’s hands. “Let them deal with the sin and the authorities handle the crime,” he told a hearing in London.

Lloyd Evans, another former elder who now campaigns against religious fundamentalism, said: “This is a group that feels they are answerable only to God … They don’t feel as though they need to yield to any regulations that are imposed on them.”

The pair, along with another former Jehovah’s Witness and a survivor of abuse, Sarah Davies, painted a picture in evidence to the inquiry of an organisation that demanded that its leaders be unquestioningly respected and obeyed, and that shunned members who failed to comply with its strict codes.

 

[Evacuated]

11 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

“Let them deal with the sin and the authorities handle the crime,” he told a hearing in London.

This reminds me of Joseph ben Caiaphas' unwitting prophecy. Duncan Corbett has hit the nail on the head, highlighting the failure of the authorities to protect their tax-paying subjects from the crime of CSA. Was this intentional? I hope so. Anyone got the video?🙂

[Evacuated]

11 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Duncan Corbett, who was an elder for 18 years

11 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

Lloyd Evans, another former elder

11 hours ago, 4Jah2me said:

another former Jehovah’s Witness and a survivor of abuse, Sarah Davies

These poor people, so damaged by their experience of narrow-minded family environments and influence. It is good to publicize their first hand testimony in such an open manner. It enables a clear assessment of the harm done by lazy-minded religious bigotry as they describe in their first-hand accounts.Presumably the facts have been verified?

 

[Anna]

Transcript of day two (11/8/2020) of the hearing:

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/20895/view/public-hearing-transcript-11-august-2020.pdf

 

 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Summing up today Friday 14th August 2020 

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/key-documents/21108/view/public-hearing-transcript-14-august-2020.pdf

I turn to the Jehovah's Witnesses. As we will set out in our written submissions, we feel that much of  the evidence from Mr Gillies was evasive and misleading.  In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, he tried to tell you that the Jehovah's Witnesses don't  have any arrangements or activities which separate children from their parents, whether in field service or  Bible study or elsewhere. He used this obvious untruth to justify rejecting any secular advice on safeguarding. 

It was notable just how many pretexts the Jehovah's Witnesses will find not to report abuse or to disclose documents, and we heard more about that obstructionism this morning. The only reasonable conclusion from this litany of excuses is that they simply do not want to report. Mr Gillies was also very discomforted quite clearly by Mr Frank's questions about document destruction.

Child sexual abuse is abuse, whether it is perpetrated by an elder or an ordinary member of the congregation, whether in a Kingdom Hall or in a home. By permitting CCJW to present their data so selectively, we are concerned that hundreds, if not thousands, of abuse cases were effectively excluded from consideration. The many victims whose abuse is currently confined to Watchtower's records, especially those whose abuse is yet to be reported, remain completely silenced. Chair, if you fail to seek disclosure of the full data, you unwittingly make things worse for survivors than if you had sought no data at all. Cherry-picked figures -- which the  Jehovah's Witnesses repeatedly, and wrongly, characterised as the full figures during this hearing will, we fear, in future be touted by them as the actual figures and they will try to say that they have your stamp of approval.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Mr Gillies was asked if his religion's policies made provision to apologise for child sexual abuse where there is institutional fault. His answer was, "No". The group asks, how can any organisation move forward willingly in child-focused safeguarding if it cannot conceive of the need to apologise for its failings? 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Having been in contact with the IICSA they requested information about a situation that I made them aware of.  So I have forwarded the information with my contact details, which it seems they will forward to the Police. 

@Anna had made a comment on another topic about what would we do if we knew the person or persons in question. Here is my answer. I did what should be done. Children need to be protected as much as we are able. Nobody should be hiding paedophiles and nobody should be walking away from their responsibility to report anything suspicious that could result in harm to a child or adult.  Here is the letter that I answered. (highlighting mine)

Our reference: IICSA-xxxxxx 

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Thank you for contacting the Inquiry via email on 13 August 2020 and bringing to our attention your concerns about the abuse of a young child.  

We would still strongly encourage you to contact your local police force directly, or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 if you believe that there is an ongoing current risk to any child or vulnerable person www.nspcc.org.uk

As you may be aware, the Inquiry has a legal duty to pass on any allegations of child abuse to Operation Hydrant, which is a national policing team set up to coordinate the police response to non-recent child sexual abuse. Because of our legal duty, we need to pass some of the information you provided to Operation Hydrant. 

We can send information to Operation Hydrant anonymously, however, we would like to ask for your consent to pass your name and contact details to the police along with the allegations. This would allow the police to make contact with you if they deemed it necessary to gain further information about the allegations. 

If you do consent to us including your name and contact details, please respond to this email by 21 August 2020 and advise what your preferred method of contact would be (e.g. phone, email etc). Please be aware that we cannot guarantee which police force (if any) will make contact with you or they will use your preferred contact method. 

The attached leaflet “Passing Information To The Police” explains consent and how the police may use your information in more detail. 

Support

You mention in your email that you are looking for Jehovah's Witnesses UK Sexual Abuse Helpline, unfortunately we are not aware of any such helpline.

Whilst there are no support organisations that are directly attached to the Inquiry, we are able to signpost people to trusted ones that provide specialist therapeutic support and information to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse. While the Inquiry cannot endorse individual organisations, it recognises that those organisations are recognised for the services they offer. 

If you feel that you might benefit from some support you may be interested in some organisations who provide specialist advice and therapeutic support specifically for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse at this link.  Although some of these organisations may currently be offering reduced services due to the COVID-19 crisis, the vast majority of them are still offering therapeutic support and advice. It may also be beneficial to talk to your GP so that they can signpost you to some appropriate local support. 

Truth Project

Please do remember that there is a part of the Inquiry which enables victims and survivors of child sexual abuse to share their experiences with us - you can find more information at the Truth Project website. 

Finally we would like to make sure that you are aware of an investigation that the Inquiry is carrying out into current child protection policies, practices and procedures in religious institutions that have a significant presence in England and Wales.  This investigation includes the Jehovah’s Witnesses.  You can find out more about this investigation on our website and you can find details of the public hearings relating to this investigation here. 

Thank you again for contacting us. If you have any questions regarding the work of the Truth Project, or the Inquiry in general, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours sincerely

Jodie Yarborough

Head of Correspondence & Engagement Team

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse 

[Shiwiii]

hmmm, why are there no jw defenders in this thread? 

[Anna]

On 8/18/2020 at 5:16 PM, 4Jah2me said:

Here is my answer. I did what should be done.

I'm glad.

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

20 hours ago, Anna said:

I'm glad.

The Police have wasted no time in contacting me. The IICSA must have contacted the Police immediately and the Police emailed me today, and i have just replied to them.  The Police wanted all the same information and more besides.  I actually found it quite easy to deal in facts, and not get emotional about knowing the people involved. What I did find a bit difficult is when they asked questions which i didn't have true answers to, because i didn't want to 'guess' the answers.  I made sure to state that certain things were only 'my own opinion'.  It would be nice to hear a result but i doubt i will. 

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

Once again C. C. you make no sense.  You are like TTH, you both talk in riddles. 

If you have an outright accusation to make and if you can back it up with proof then lets see it. 

As for anyone threatening the GB, well you could accuse God or Christ of doing so. The GB have been and still are a stumbling block for many people. So this scripture applies to them. 

Luke 17 v 1 &2

Then he said to his disciples: “It is unavoidable that causes for stumbling should come. Nevertheless, woe to the one through whom they come! ²  It would be more advantageous for him if a millstone were hung from his neck and he were thrown into the sea than for him to stumble one of these little ones.