{"id":1047,"date":"2022-07-27T21:56:22","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T21:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jwchildabuse.org\/xqllht\/?p=1047"},"modified":"2022-07-28T19:51:18","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T19:51:18","slug":"2017-jury-selection-complete-in-fessler-versus-watchtower-child-abuse-case-trial-date-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jwchildabuse.org\/xqllht\/news\/2017-jury-selection-complete-in-fessler-versus-watchtower-child-abuse-case-trial-date-set\/","title":{"rendered":"2017: Jury Selection Complete in Fessler Versus Watchtower Child Abuse Case \u2013 Trial Date Set"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published February 3rd, 2017<\/em><\/p>\n

For the first time since the\u00a02012 landmark\u00a0ruling<\/a><\/span>\u00a0in the case of Candace Conti versus the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, a jury will decide the outcome of a sexual abuse case in which multiple Jehovah\u2019s Witness elders in two states knowingly failed to report the abuse of a 14-year-old girl, even after reporting the matter to Watchtower\u2019s legal department.<\/p>\n

\"Young<\/a>
Young Stephanie Fessler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to court documents, the\u00a0Spring Grove elders interrogated the victim<\/strong>, Stephanie Fessler, but did not question the 49-year-old Terry Seipp (Monheim), and made no attempt to contact the police or child protection authorities. Instead of offering protection, Stephanie was slapped with a private \u201creproof\u201d from her elders. Under deposition, Witness elder Eric Hoffman admitted that he knew of suspected abuse, but failed to contact the authorities.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Elders from the Freeland Maryland congregation were informed of the sexual abuse accusations against their member, Terry Seipp (Monheim), but as with the Spring Grove elders, they too failed to contact any legal authorities and rather also issued a private reproof.\u00a0 Elders from the Spring Grove congregation did, however, contact Watchtower\u2019s legal department in Patterson, New York, but court records indicate that despite their inquiry regarding possible police notification, the failure to make a report of suspected abuse violated Pennsylvania\u2019s Child Protective Services Laws (CPSL).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

As a direct result of the defendants\u2019 collective unwillingness to comply with both Pennsylvania and Maryland law, the plaintiff suffered abuse for yet another year, until the defendant\u2019s husband hired a private investigator, who provided photographic proof of the relationship between Fessler, aged 15, and Monheim, who was now 50 years old. Elders were again notified following this disclosure, but they still refused to contact police or\u00a0Childline<\/a>.<\/span> \u00a0They punished Stephanie again by now publicly reproving her; \u00a0a formal announcement was made to the entire congregation.<\/p>\n

Abuser Charged, Victims Suffers<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n

It was not until 2011 that Stephanie Fessler, aged 22 was able to report her abuser directly to the police, who arrested and charged Terry Seipp (Monheim) with multiple criminal violations. Seipp pled guilty to corrupting the morals of a minor and indecent assault and was sentenced to prison and probation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Meanwhile, Fessler suffered severe PTSD which presented in extreme anxiety, insomnia, flashbacks, nightmares, and multiple additional symptoms which required professional therapy. It is clear that the Jehovah\u2019s Witness organization not only obstructed justice, but by violating Pennsylvania and Maryland Law, they subsequently deprived Stephanie of the counseling services which would have been available to her at the right time. The added layer of stress caused by her private and public reproof caused additional damage, forcing her to deal with the stigma of being considered \u201cbad association\u201d by all of her Witness friends.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Stephanie was baptized as one of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses at the age of 10, a decision that rendered her permanently accountable to the Witness organization and its elders. While non-Witness children have the benefit of practical support and encouragement if they are abused or taken advantage of, a baptized Witness child will often find themselves seated before a body of all male elders, forced to relive their trauma, then punished with no recourse.<\/p>\n

Stephanie stated:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cit\u2019s robbed years of my childhood because I was a child at the time. I did not know about sex\u2026 to be abused by somebody and then to be blamed for it, the damage that\u2019s caused me and done to me mentally and emotionally, it\u2019s beyond words\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Lawsuit<\/h2>\n

The primary defendant in this case is the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, and the CCJW (Christian Congregation of Jehovah\u2019s Witness). \u00a0Fessler\u2019s attorney\u00a0Jeffrey P. Fritz<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0Soloff & Zervanos, P.C<\/a>. will demonstrate to the jury that Watchtower\u2019s legal department\u00a0failed to instruct the elders involved in this case to follow the mandatory child abuse reporting laws which govern Maryland and Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

This is in spite of Watchtower\u2019s own written and published documentation \u00a0which openly acknowledged that child abuse is a crime, and that \u201cno elder will criticize anyone who reports such an allegation to authorities.\u201d (February 15th, 2002 Letter to Elders)<\/p>\n

\"February<\/a>
February 15th, 2002 Letter to Elders Excerpt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

However, in line with Watchtower\u2019s conflicting legal recommendations, elders are not specifically instructed to report matters of child abuse to legal authorities, but to only do so as the last resort in states where mandatory reporting is strictly enforced. Watchtower relies heavily upon the use of clergy privilege, despite exemptions in place which permit a member of the clergy (an elder) to report accusations of abuse to the proper authorities.<\/p>\n

As we have reported in past articles<\/a>, Watchtower attorneys frequently use the term \u201cabsolute right\u201d when describing their desire for victims to handle abuse reports themselves \u2013 \u00a0a practice designed to make them\u00a0appear<\/em>\u00a0to favor victims rights while making no effort to actively involve congregation elders in the reporting process. This strategy results in grossly under-reported cases of abuse. Most victims and their families are so traumatized by the abuse, they usually decline\u00a0to report. Another reason they fail to report is that elders encourage Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses to do nothing which would \u201cbring reproach upon Jehovah\u2019s name\u201d \u2013 a well-known Witness policy designed to protect the organization\u2019s reputation rather than seek the highest level of care for victims.<\/p>\n

The jury has been selected, and the trial is set to commence Tuesday, February 7th at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

More on Fessler v. Watchtower:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2017: Fessler versus Watchtower \u2013 Opening Statements in Jehovah\u2019s Witness Child Abuse Trial<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n