UK- Jehovah's Witness allow predator to "grill" victim
For immediate release: Friday, May 23, 2014
Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach CA, western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, [email protected])
One of the most difficult—but important—things that a survivor of sexual abuse can do is report the crime and put a predator behind bars. That's what the victims in this case did. They worked with law enforcement to ensure that Jonathan Rose was arrested, convicted and jailed for molesting two little girls.
But to the Jehovah's Witnesses, that was not enough to "prove" Rose's guilt. Allowing a convicted—or a credibly accused predator—to "grill" victims is shocking and disgraceful. It breeds fear in victims that they, too, will be unprotected, revictimized and shunned by their faith community if they are ever brave enough to come forward and report crimes to police.
The Jehovah's Witness elders who participated in this shameful activity should immediately remove themselves from any position of authority in the church, apologize to victims, and immediately rewrite any church rules that would allow "inquisitions" like this to continue. Until then, we have to believe that the Jehovah's Witnesses will only continue to protect and embrace child predators at the risk of children globally.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 18,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell,[email protected])
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
Showing 4 comments
Wherever there are humans, this problem exists. But there is no religious organisation that has done more structurally and organisationally to prevent child abuse than Jehovah’s Witnesses. They installed all kinds of procedures as soon as they recognised the gravity of the problem. They protect the victims. They have even preventative procedures before a person has any kind of privileges. They are not perfect. But in speaking with Experts in child abuse they say that Jehovah’s Witnesses are ahead in many aspects of victim prevention and protection.
I know a person who is interested in getting compensation for child abuse suffered in the past, but she is now one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and reading this article, I don’t think I can recommend your group to her.
I am sincerely glad for your sucesses. My heart is with your suffering and I have been waiting for justice to come on this issue. But this article about grilling ??? In an organisation that is doing the most of all to take care of the problem ?
Going overboard will only discredit you.
Wishing you the best success in your individual recoveries and hoping to see more professionalism in your articles.
mbp
Matthew 24:24
For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
And indeed most are deceived.