Royal commission hears how Jehovah’s Witnesses covered up child sex abuse dating back to 1950s

news.com.au
July 29, 2015

http://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/royal-commission-hears-how-jehovahs-witnesses-covered-up-child-sex-abuse-dating-back-to-1950s/story-fns0kb3z-1227462141264

Jehovah Witnesses elder Max Horley gave evidence at the royal commission on Monday. Photo by Paul Miller

CANDACE Conti was just 9-years-old when she was shunned by her family and everyone she knew after she was sexually assaulted.

A member of the Jehovah’s Witness church, Ms Conti was a victim not only of her abuser, but of a system that covered up abuse, by enforcing a “two witness” rule, meaning any child who couldn’t verify their story by another witness was punished for their claim.

Ms Conti, now an adult, has spoken out about her experience. She says the cruel rule enforced by the church has helped keep a history of child sexual abuse covered up.

“They have a ‘two witness’ rule,” the American told The Guardian earlier this year.

“Anyone who accuses an adult of abuse must have a second witness.

“If there is no second witness, the accuser is punished for a false accusation — usually by ordering that no witness may talk with or associate with the “false” accuser.

“This is called dis-fellowshipping. For a kid raised only with other Witnesses, it was horrifying.

“Even your parents would have to ignore you.”

On Monday, a national inquiry held in Sydney revealed more than 1000 allegations of child sexual abuse in churches around Australia were covered up by generations of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The royal commission heard from church elder Max Horley, who admitted that as a member of the Jehovah’s Witness congregation in Narrogin, WA, during the 1980s, he witnessed notes from victims being destroyed to prevent them from “falling into the wrong hands”.

The revelations, dating back to 1950, fit with Ms Conti’s story. The difference for Ms Conti is that she was compensated for the abuse she suffered while so many other were not.

Ms Conti was awarded $28 million in damages by a jury in northern California in 2012 after describing how she was molested as a member of a Fremond church in the 1990s.

In her lawsuit, Ms Conti, then 26, said she was repeatedly molested by a fellow congregant named Jonathan Kendrick.

“Nothing can bring back my childhood,” Ms Conti told the Oakland Tribune.

“But through this (verdict) and through, hopefully, a change in their policy, we can make something good come out of it.”

In Sydney, the royal commission is continuing. A 47-year-old woman on Monday told the hearing how she was abused by family friend and church elder Bill Neill in Narrogin.

The woman, known to the inquiry as BCB, said she also felt ashamed to speak up.

“I found the experience of reporting my abuse to a room full of men, including the man who had abused me, very distressing,” she said.

“I think that those victims that are brave enough to report to elders should be properly supported and protected.”

Ms Conti says she has dedicated her life to showing the church for what it really is.

“The only way to end this abuse is by lifting this veil of secrecy once and for all,” she said.