Royal commission: Jehovah's Witnesses to review approach to sex abuse allegations

By Rachel Browne
Sydney Morning Herald
August 5, 2015

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/royal-commission-jehovahs-witnesses-to-review-approach-to-sex-abuse-allegations-20150805-gis2fh.html

The Jehovah's Witness Church will review its approach to child sexual abuse claims after evidence before a royal commission revealed serious flaws with its current procedures.

Terrence O'Brien​, one of the most senior members of the Jehovah's Witness Church in Australia, told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse the organisation would consider changes to its procedures for sex abuse cases.

The commission has previously heard that under church rules, based on Biblical standards, victims are forced to face their abuser before a committee of male elders. Abuse is only considered proven where there is a confession or testimony from two witnesses to the assault.

Evidence before the commission is that the rules discourage abuse victims from speaking freely, fail to adequately support them and allow the alleged perpetrator to continue living in the community.

Commission chairman Justice Peter McClellan asked Mr O'Brien whether 2000-year-old laws still applied today.

"Is it open to the Jehovah's Witnesses to . . . ask the question whether what the Bible says was appropriate for those times remains the obligation of the 21st century?" he asked.

Mr O'Brien, co-ordinator of the church's Australian Branch Committee, told the commission the organisation was "open to change".

In evidence, he said the committee would consider the greater involvement of women in child sex abuse cases, clearer guidance for elders hearing allegations and better communication with victims and their families about their legal options.

Mr O'Brien told the commission the church did not have a redress scheme for sex abuse victims but would consider establishing one.

Vincent Toole, head of the church's Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, told the commission he would seek independent legal advice about the church's obligations to report child sex abuse to the authorities.

Justice McClellan asked Mr Toole if he understood there was a general obligation for every citizen to report crimes to the authorities.

 "Coming to this commission has been a wake-up call for me, I can assure you," Mr Toole said.

"Immediately [when] this particular hearing is over, we're going to instruct senior independent counsel and ask them to give us clear legal advice what the position is throughout Australia . . . any obligations that arise in relation to those laws we will certainly comply with."

The commission has previously heard evidence that the church has received more than 1000 claims of child sexual abuse since 1950 and is still receiving up to four allegations a month.

The commission has been told an Australian-born member of the church's US-based governing body, Geoffrey Jackson, is in Queensland on a family matter.

Justice McClellan said Mr Jackson may be called to give evidence next week.