Hidden Abuse Under the Watchtower
Curl up with Reveal’s top #longreads from 2015
Check out five pieces of our best long-form writing from 2015, as selected by Reveal’s staff.
Religion
Major and minor religious organizations and their impact on society
Criminal Justice
How Jehovah’s Witness leaders are responding to child abuse scrutiny
A Portuguese news documentary released in October was yet another report from across the globe to detail the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ policy of not reporting child abusers to law enforcement. As in other media reports, top officials refused to speak to the journalists who produced it.
Religion
Modern-day witch trials: Law enforcement target Mexican folk religion
Santa Muerte, the goddess of death, is worshipped by millions of Mexican Catholics. But law enforcement agencies are going after believers, claiming that there is a link between the popular folk religion and the narcotics trade.
Criminal Justice
Jehovah’s Witnesses can hide the truth in court to protect religion
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.
Religion
Internal struggles at US mosques seep into secular courts
Historically, the Muslim American community has kept its disputes private. But as the number of mosques increases and Muslims integrate with mainstream America, conflicts are seeping into secular courts from California to Texas and Florida.
Immigration
Embattled school board under fire again after leader’s divisive rant
Hundreds of parents are calling for the resignation of the vice president of a Southern California school board, which already has drawn a lawsuit over proselytizing from the dais, after he railed against gay marriage, adoptions by gay couples and immigration during a public meeting.
Hidden Abuse Under the Watchtower
5 hardships faced by victims of Jehovah’s Witnesses sexual abuse
The Jehovah’s Witnesses leadership has created a secretive system to conceal allegations of sexual abuse within its congregations. Reveal’s investigat
Education
One thing leads to another
In August, we’re picking up the threads from three major investigations to see what’s happened since they aired. These are stories that moved people, made them angry and sparked change.
Religion
Shunned and shamed by Jehovah’s Witnesses
Reveal reporter Trey Bundy has fielded hundreds of messages from people relaying their experiences as Jehovah’s Witnesses, reinforcing our previous findings that sexual abuse is not an isolated problem within the religious organization.
Hidden Abuse Under the Watchtower
She spoke about Jehovah’s Witness abuse, and her home was vandalized
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.
