UNITED KINGDOM
The Northern Echo
Julia Breen, Deputy Chief Reporter (Tees Valley) / @juliabreenEcho
A NORTH-East man who was honoured earlier this year for his fight against sex abuse risks within the church has spoken of his “grave concerns” about evidence given to an official inquiry.
Steve Rose, from Hartlepool, who was once a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses but has now been “shunned” after he raised concerns, said elders had refused to reform the “two witness rule” which they required to throw a member out of the church.
The Royal Commission in Australia is looking into institutional child abuse and requested the governing body of Jehovah’s witnesses to give evidence – but they declined.
Mr Rose said: “The elders wouldn’t budge on the two-witness rule, a 2,000 year rule in the Bible where you need two witnesses to a wrongdoing.
“They also won’t accept women to make a decision at a hearing on child abuse. This can be intimidating for the child or even another woman who has to go in front of three elders in a private room.”
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