{"id":1163,"date":"2022-08-01T16:53:07","date_gmt":"2022-08-01T16:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jwchildabuse.org\/xqllht\/?p=1163"},"modified":"2022-08-01T16:54:43","modified_gmt":"2022-08-01T16:54:43","slug":"2019-governing-body-of-jehovahs-witnesses-named-as-defendants-in-child-abuse-lawsuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jwchildabuse.org\/xqllht\/news\/2019-governing-body-of-jehovahs-witnesses-named-as-defendants-in-child-abuse-lawsuits\/","title":{"rendered":"2019: Governing Body of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses Named as Defendants in Child Abuse Lawsuits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Published August 21st, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to focus on the institution, not the individual priests. Practice and policy. Show me the church manipulated the system so that these guys wouldn\u2019t have to face charges. Show me they put those same priests back into parishes time and time again. Show me this was systemic, that it came from the top down\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026We\u2019re going after the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 From the 2015 film\u00a0Spotlight<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

On August 14th, 2019, multiple civil lawsuits were filed in the State of New York, naming the Governing Body of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses as co-defendants.<\/p>\n

The all-male eight-member ruling authority faces accusations of negligence by controlling an institution that carelessly abused its power, resulting in the sexual abuse of a large number of minor children.<\/p>\n

Attorney Irwin Zalkin is going after the system.<\/p>\n

New York and San-Diego-based Zalkin identified the core reasons for naming the self-appointed Governing Body as defendants in the latest round of lawsuits.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are now going to be named defendants in a lawsuit. They are headquartered in the State of New York. They direct all of the activities of the Jehovah\u2019s Witness Organization from the State of New York. They are very hands-on. The Governing Body is very hands-on in making policy and practice for the organization in issuing directives to elders including directives related to their sexual abuse policy. \u201c<\/p>\n

Among the directives approved by the Governing Body of Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses is the 274-page\u00a0secret elder\u2019s manual<\/a><\/span>\u00a0known as\u00a0Shepherd the Flock of God<\/em>. An entire chapter has been devoted to managing child abuse, with the very first subheading titled \u201cLegal Considerations.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Jehovah\u2019s Witness elders claim that they endeavor to cooperate with law enforcement, they are neither permitted nor encouraged to immediately phone the police when they become aware of child molestation allegations.<\/p>\n

Instead, they are under strict instructions to promptly phone Watchtower\u2019s legal department in Patterson New York, where anonymous men type detailed allegations into their child abuse database. Before handing the call off to the religious Service Department, legal advisors decide whether mandatory reporting laws apply to clergymen in the state where the crimes occurred.<\/p>\n

\"csa-intake<\/a>
2018 JW Legal Department Intake Form- Top<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Despite clergy-mandated reporting in nearly every State, Watchtower\u2019s legal department relies heavily upon a broad interpretation of clergy-penitent privilege, a loophole which Watchtower leaders exploit in virtually every child abuse case.<\/p>\n

The quandary is, courtrooms across the United States disagree with the liberal interpretation of clergy privilege. Watchtower claims that all conversations between elders and victims, perpetrators, Circuit Overseers, Appeals Committees, and New York Service Department elders are covered by this privilege.<\/p>\n

However, clergy privilege was intended to protect the confession of a perpetrator to his priest or elder, It was never intended to protect an internal investigation initiated by a body of elders within a congregation. Attorneys for Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses believe they are being unfairly held to the Catholic Church model, where privilege only applies to a confession made between the penitent and his priest.<\/p>\n

\"JW<\/a>
JW Elders Manual<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

Multiple Lawsuits Filed<\/h3>\n

In the wake of the newly-enacted\u00a0Child Victims Act legislation<\/a><\/span>, dozens of lawsuits were filed on behalf of victims seeking justice. While a significant number of cases target Catholic New York Dioceses, Jehovah\u2019s Witness abuse survivors are also lining up seeking justice, compensation, and validation.<\/p>\n

The New York law sets aside Statute of Limitations restrictions for a period of one year, opening the door for victims previously barred from suing organizations that covered up abuse.<\/p>\n

Because Jehovah\u2019s Witnesses are an insular religious community, very few cases were ever brought before criminal or civil courts. Witnesses are encouraged never to bring reproach upon the \u201cname of Jehovah\u201d by straying outside of the organization to resolve matters involving church members. Such matters include allegations of child abuse.<\/p>\n

While parents are sometimes advised by elders that they are free to report abuse allegations to the authorities, under no circumstances are they implicitly directed to do so.<\/p>\n

Survivors Michael Ewing and Heather Steele know all too well what it\u2019s like to have their lives destroyed by appointed members of the Jehovah\u2019s Witness religion. Both have sought the aid of the Zalkin Law Firm after decades of suffering the after-effects of their abuse and the corresponding cover-up.<\/p>\n

Court documents describe evidence that church leadership intentionally tried to circumvent law enforcement in an effort to reduce notoriety.<\/p>\n

The abusers in both cases were appointees of the Governing Body, including an elder and a ministerial servant. Both are considered agents of the church.<\/p>\n