The Jehovah’s Witnesses have systematically instructed leaders to keep child sexual abuse secret from law enforcement and members of their own congregations.
Jehovah’s Witnesses policies allow child sexual abusers to operate within their congregations without fear that they will be reported to police, according to a new report published by the Australian government.
Under the “theocratic warfare” doctrine, Jehovah’s Witnesses are allowed to hide the truth from anyone outside of the religion – including in legal matters such as child sexual abuse cases – if doing so protects the organization.
Debbie McDaniel, an expelled Jehovah’s Witness, spoke to Reveal about how the organization hides sexual abuse from law enforcement agencies and banish those who speak up about it. Then, just hours before the investigation published, her patio, windows, doors and furniture were tagged with ominous warnings written in black marker.
Three years after a former Jehovah’s Witness won the largest verdict for a single victim of child abuse against a religious organization in U.S. history, the California Court of Appeal found that the organization had no duty to warn congregants that a confessed child molester was one of their own.
A top Jehovah’s Witness leader – speaking through a video posted on the organization’s official website – denied allegations that the religion provides a safe haven for child sexual abusers.
In this episode, we expose the secrets one powerful religious group was keeping; whether officers are being held accountable for committing acts of torture; and why so many U.S. cities still lack decent Internet service.
