Another Elder Convicted Of Molesting Children
In a press release dated October 15, 2007 the following was stated,
At that time Silentlambs pointed out over 3,500 Elders and Ministerial Servants had been reported as molesters to Silentlambs. Now in Finland in a very public trial, a Presiding Overseer, (elder) has been convicted of child molestation and send to jail for three years. Now it appears they (Watchtower PR)will have to at least adjust their number to ”ten” and counting as they respond to media when asked about the rampant probem of child abuse in the organization. We might commend the example of the Roman Catholic Pope. At least he acknowledged there was a problem, apologized and met with abuse survivors. The Governing Body has yet to do any of the above, even after paying out more than $12.5 million in Worldwide Work Donations to silence victims.
On September 27, 2002 over 125 Jehovah’s Witness victims of abuse marched in Brooklyn New York at the World Headquarters.
Ninety days earlier they wrote a letter asking to meet with the Governing Body to have an impartial hearing on the abuse problem. When they arrived, the doors were locked and the Governing Body refused to answer the phone or front door. Victims were ignored. Over 500 stuffed lambs were placed in a fence directly in front of the main entrance for victims that could not be in attendance. A few hours later Bethel members were observed removing the lambs and stuffing them in trash bags. Perhaps that is the greatest metaphor for how Jehovah’s Witness abuse survivors have been treated by the policies of the Governing Body. The following scripture was read out at the front door at the conclusion of the March. Perhaps it sums up best the reprehensibility of these men that claim to represent God.
“Conclusion:
We thank you for your sacrifice and kind support in making the effort to be here. In Ezekiel there is an interesting scripture regarding the shepherds of ancient times it states, “The sickened ones you have not strengthened, and the ailing one you have not healed, and the broken one you have not bandaged, and the dispersed one you have not brought back, and the lost one you have not sought to find, but with harshness you have had them in subjection, even with tyranny.” The Governing Body must wake up and realize as God did not tolerate tyrants in bible times he will not tolerate tyrants today. So while we “wait on Jehovah” we follow the course of Ezekiel and speak out to protect the lowly ones.”
Eight years later while the Governing Body does nothing, the “Shepherds’ continue to molest….
74-year-old sexually abused his grandchildren
The Jehovah’s Witness community is shaken by an incest and pedophile case where a 74-year-old grandfather was convicted for sexually abusing four children.
The victims were 5 to 11 years of age and two of the girls were the man’s own grandchildren.
The court regarded the abuse to be serious.
74-year-old man’s grandchildren and the victim’s families are all Jehovah’s Witnesses. The man was convicted by Esbo (Esbo is a town in Finland) court to three years in prison.
The abuse according to court documents, took place in Spain, Estonia, and Esbo during 2003-2005. The history of abuse was discovered during vacation on Tenerife in the Canary Islands.
“Family friends had brought him along on vacation like a grandpa, my own daughter was with them as a friend to their daughter”, says the mother of the 9-year-old girl who was molested.
“The girls came to me and told what had happened. I immediately wrote it down.”
The daughter is recouping well according to the mother, but it’s been hard. The investigation took years before leading to the conviction.
“We didn’t believe it in the beginning, we actually laughed at it, he was such a sweet old man, the friends were acting like, what are you thinking?”
During the vacation on Tenerife the abuse was limited to touching and masturbating while the girls were watching.
Suspicion arouse during the preliminary investigation that two of the girls abuse had went much further and ocurred over a longer period of time.
Specifically the older granddaughter has suffered from depression and has difficulty trusting adults and no longer feels safe.
The acts took place during school breaks in Spain and at homes in Estonia and Finland.
The 74-year-old man often baby-sat the girls and he was viewed as being fond of children.
The man admitted to part of the accusations that occurred in Tenerife, but he denies having molested his grandchildren.
The 74-year-old had moved to Estonia in the beginning of the 1990’s to be missionary after the fall of the iron curtain. He worked there founding the local church.
“Many thought of him as a ”Good Samaritan”. He brought clothes and other things to those in need. Due to his background and reputation when you see this man nobody would have believed this about him”, says a friend of the family of the 9-year-old girl.
According to his business card, he was the congregation’s, Presiding Overseer and a member of the Hospital Liaison Committee and a Circuit Overseer.
“Elders should be role models, but he has disregarded Bible principles”, a fellow Jehovah’s Witness friend states.