AUSTRALIA
The Australian
DECEMBER 1, 2015
Tessa Akerman
Reporter
Melbourne
Counsel assisting the child sex abuse royal commission has made damning submissions of 77 potential findings regarding the Jehovah’s Witness organisation.
They include that the policy of shunning those who leave the organisation is in conflict with the belief that Jehovah God is a compassionate god.
In submissions published today, Angus Stewart SC said the Jehovah’s Witness organisation receives three to four reports of allegations of child sexual abuse each month and since 1950 the Jehovah’s Witness organisation has received allegations of child sexual abuse against 1006 of its members relating to at least 1800 victims.
He submitted in that period, the organisation has not reported a single allegation to the police or other authorities, even though 579 of those against whom allegations were made confessed to having committed child sexual abuse.
He submitted it was open for the commission to find that it is the policy and practice of the Jehovah’s Witness organisation in Australia not to report allegations of child sexual abuse to the police or other authorities unless required by law to do so.
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