CA -- Victims blast ruling reducing church abuse award

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
April 14, 2015

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ca_victims_blast_ruling_reducing_church_abuse_award

The largest jury award ever in a church child sex abuse and cover up case has been reduced by an appeals court. This is a heart-breaking ruling that will mean more children will be sexually assaulted, more predators will go undetected and more employers will act more recklessly, callously and deceitfully.

http://www.revealnews.org/article/california-court-guts-child-abuse-ruling-against-jehovahs-witnesses/

Our hearts go out to Candace Conti and her family. They have now been betrayed three times – first by irresponsible, secretive and self-serving Jehovah’s Witness officials, then by a child molester named Jonathan Kendrick, and now by an appeal court that apparently values the freedom of adults to avoid independent scrutiny over the freedom of children to avoid heinous sex crimes.

Expecting purportedly “spiritual” officials to warn their flocks about child molesters, this court claims, would be too “burdensome.”

Frankly, it’s just hard for us to understand that whatever “adverse social consequences” the duty to keep predators away from kids might cause that would be worse than the "adverse social consequences” millions of men, women and children have endured and are enduring because of those who selfishly commit and conceal horrific sexual violence against the vulnerable.

The court worries about “the burden” that might be caused when church officials have a “reason to believe that a congregation member is capable of doing harm.” But for heaven’s sake, Kendrick admitted sexually assaulting a child, was protected by Jehovah’s Witnesses officials, then went on to sexually assault another child. So who cares what church officials “believed” he was capable of? They knew, from his own admission, that he had already sexually had abused a child. They should have called 911. They should have never deceived their flock. They should have never given him a chance to hurt another child.

This ruling is a tragedy. Our nation has just become safer, not for kids, but for those who put their own reputations, comfort and careers ahead of the well-being of innocent boys and girls and vulnerable men and women.