Jehovah’s Witnesses accused of covering up historic sex abuse

UNITED KINGDOM
Telegraph

A Jehovah’s Witness strangled girls for sexual gratification – but his crimes were “swept under the carpet” for more than two decades

By Agency Reporter 29 Dec 2015

A Jehovah’s Witness who strangled young girls for sexual gratification has finally been jailed after his crimes were covered up by the congregation at his church for more than two decades.

Ian Pheasey, 54, went unpunished for more than 25 years after his activities were “swept under the rug” by the church he attended.

A court heard that Pheasey first attacked a seven-year-old girl while he was working as a volunteer librarian at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, in Warwick, in the 1990s.

Pheasey was eventually caught after another of his victims went to the police after learning Pheasey was working at a hospice. Pheasey was arrested in October 2014 and charged with offences between 1989 and 1994.

Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.