Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Pierce County Jehovah's Witnesses Congregation

[Patiently waiting for Truth]

https://www.chronline.com/stories/sexual-abuse-lawsuit-filed-against-pierce-county-jehovahs-witnesses-congregation,275875

A survivor of childhood sexual abuse by a member of a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation in Pierce County recently sued the organization.

Moriah Hughes, 24, filed her lawsuit last month in Pierce County Superior Court against the Milton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses.

It says her abuser was a "baptized publisher," that he used his position to perpetrate the abuse, and that the church had information about similar allegations made against him by another congregation. He was later charged and sentenced in King County Superior Court for abusing Hughes and another girl.

"... the Milton Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses knew or should have known that he posed a threat of foreseeable harm to Moriah Hughes, but it failed to take reasonable steps to protect Moriah Hughes from that harm," the lawsuit said.

It also names other organizations as part of the church's hierarchy: the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses.

"I wanted to bring awareness to the fact that this is a reality," Hughes told The News Tribune last week. "And even though it is a heartbreaking reality in the organization, we will never be able to ensure this type of thing doesn't happen again and to other people unless we bring that awareness forward."

Elihu Rodriguez abused Hughes from 2012 to 2014 when he was an adult and she was between the ages of 14 and 16.

"Rodriguez abused plaintiff on multiple occasions, including during and after church events such as field service, Bible study and congregation social gatherings," the lawsuit said. "Before Rodriguez abused plaintiff, defendant congregation received a letter from another congregation indicating that he had engaged in similar sexually abusive acts with four girls at that congregation prior to coming to defendant congregation."

This is of much more concern than ill treating a dog. Unless you are a JW of course.