AUSTRALIA
Sydney Morning Herald
August 5, 2015
Rachel Browne
Social Affairs Reporter
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.
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