CA - Child sex abuse victim to get $27 million
Calling a jury decision “a watershed moment for children’s safety in the Jehovah’s Witnesses,” a self help group for men and women who were molested by denomination members is praising the child sex abuse victim who took her case to court this week in California.
Yesterday, Bay Area jurors awarded $21 million in punitive damages – on top of an earlier $7 million in actual damages – to an Oakland woman who was sexually assaulted as a child by a now-convicted Jehovah’s Witness.
“Until now, a jury has virtually never held the JW national headquarters responsible for repeated heinous child sex crimes and cover ups by church members or officials,” said William Bowen of Nashville, who founded and heads a support group for those molested by Jehovah’s Witnesses (270-703-2257, [email protected]) “This is a ground-breaking case and a watershed award against an especially callous group of church bureaucrats.”
“The Jehovah Witnesses have the most dangerous abuse policy on the planet – requiring two eyewitnesses to a child sex crime before an accusation can be deemed ‘credible,’” said William Bowen of Kentucky, who founded and heads a support group for for those molested by Jehovah’s Witnesses (270-703-2257, [email protected]) “So justice and prevention isn’t happening within the church, and that’s why this decision is so crucial. We hope it prods more JW victims to report child sex crimes to secular authorities and take legal action to expose predators and protect kids.”
In 2007, 17 victims shared a $13 million dollar settlement from church officials. It involved victims in three states California, Texas and Oregon and six Jehovah Witnesses perpetrators.
http://www.silentlambs.org/NashvillePressConference.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21917798/ns/nbcnightlynews/t/new-evidence-jehovahs-witness-allegations/#.T9tUixeXTEY
Bowen says this is the largest amount the Jehovah’s Witness have ever had to pay in one child sex case.
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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