Jehovah’s Witness Rape Victims Claim Abuse Was Covered up Because It Would Bring Shame on the Religion

By Felix Allen
The Sun
November 20, 2017

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4954162/children-raped-jehovahs-witnesses-report-abuse-shame-religion/

One victim, Louise Palmer, said she was told reporting her rapist brother to police would "bring reproach on Jehovah".

The 41-year-old, formerly of Halesowen, West Mids, was born into the organisation along with her brother Richard Davenport, who started raping her when she was four. He is now in jail.

She said of the moment she went to elders: "I asked, 'what should I do? Do you report it to the police, do I report it to the police?'

"And their words were that they strongly advised me not to go to the police because it would bring reproach on Jehovah."

Louise added: "I believe children aren't safe. No child is ever going to feel like they can come forward."

Another woman, from Worcestershire, said she was raped as a child by a friend of her brother.

But her parents and elders in the congregation advised her not to report it.

The BBC said it also spoke to male and female victims in Birmingham, Cheltenham, Leicester and Glasgow who told gave similar accounts.

They claim the religion's organising body "self polices" sins but insists on two witnesses before a congregation will act on any alleged transgression.

But that is impossible in most cases of sexual abuse.

Victims also told the BBC church elders teach members to avoid interaction with outside authorities and not to take another member to court.

Breaking this rule could lead to expulsion from the religion, they say.

Child abuse lawyer Kathleen Hallisey believes there could be thousands of victims across the country who have not come forward because of the "two witness" rule.

Angie Rodgers was abused from the age of 11 by her father and then by a Jehovah's Witness elder when she asked for help

The organisation described child abuse as a "heinous crime and sin" and said it did not "shield abusers from the authorities of the consequences of their actions".

It said: "Any suggestion that Jehovah's Witnesses covered up child abuse was absolutely false".

It said victims and their parents had "the absolute right to report the matter to the governmental authorities" and that was "not contingent on the number of witnesses to the offence".

The statement added "loving and protective parents" were the "best deterrent to child abuse" and elders provided "abuse victims and their families with spiritual comfort from the Bible".

An ongoing inquiry into safeguarding issues in the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Britain - the UK's main Jehovah's Witnesses organisation - was begun by the Charity Commission watchdog in 2013.

In May we told how Angie Rodgers was abused by her father from the age of 11 and then by one of the Jehovah's Witness elders she asked for help.