7/13/2023 0 Comments Jw congregation![]() Bowen is also the national director of Silentlambs, a victims' support group where abuse survivors who have gotten kicked out of the religion anonymously share their stories. ![]() They're not cops or welfare workers," said William Bowen, a former elder who now serves as an expert witness on how Jehovah's Witnesses operate with respect to allegations of sexual abuse. These men are literally flying by the seat of their pants. "There's no list of questions or protocols. ![]() Other former Jehovah's Witnesses say they have experienced a pattern of covering up abuse to protect the religion's reputation dating back decades. 'There's no list of questions or protocols' "They were willing to turn their back on their own child to pursue a religion rather than support their own child," she said. Even worse, when she finally told her family a couple of years later that she had been in a sexual relationship with an older man at age 14, she says they accused her of flirting, and have since stopped talking to her because they view her as a "spiritual threat" to their own commitment to their faith. Smith says that kind of protection was never offered in her case. ( Romans 13:1) Even if the elders have no legal duty to report an accusation to the authorities, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if a minor is still in danger of abuse or there is some other valid reason," says one bullet point in the document. Aviles has been charged with Aggravated Indecent Assault, Indecent Assault, Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Corruption of Minors."When elders learn of an accusation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses to ensure compliance with child abuse reporting laws. Aviles was an elder in his congregation, which helped him gain the trust of many parents and afforded him access to their children.
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