While the Catholic Church has dominated headlines about sexual abuse within religious organizations, it is not the only group to have an alleged history of child sexual abuse and cover-ups. Indeed, many people say they’ve been victims of Jehovah’s Witness abuse as well, though these allegations are only now coming to light due to a reported long-running cover-up.

Jehovah’s Witness abuse victims may now be able to file litigation against the organization and pursue compensation.

What is the Jehovah’s Witness Religion?

Jehovah’s Witness is a sect of Christianity with more than 8.5 million members. (For comparison, there are more than 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.) Teachings are disseminated through a publication called The Watchtower.

According to the Jehovah’s Witness religion, the Bible is historically accurate, and in most cases should be interpreted literally (though a few particular passages may be considered symbolic or poetic); the Trinity belief (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) of most other Christian sects is inaccurate; Hell, in the traditional sense, does not exist, though Satan does and is in control of the world as it is; and the End Times will lead to only 144,000 anointed people going to Heaven to rule alongside Jesus Christ.

Jehovah’s Witness Abuse Cases

A growing number of members of the religion are coming forward with allegations of abuse they say occurred within the organization, including sexual abuse as children by an elder or elders of the church.

Debbie M., who was recently kicked out of the Jehovah’s Witness religion for being in a same-sex relationship, said that the chairman of the committee who voted her out is the same man who sexually abused her during her childhood for a span of five years, starting when she was 8 years old.

Being ousted from the Jehovah’s Witness religion, referred to as being disfellowshipped, means being formally shunned by believers, including family members. The first time Debbie was disfellowshipped, she was 18. “I thought it ironic,” she told Reveal News, “that the man who had molested me was now going to oust me to keep his congregation clean.”

Heather S. alleged that she was molested as a toddler by a Jehovah’s Witness elder named Donald Nicholson in the mid-1970s, forming some of her first memories, according to the New York Post.

John Michael E. told the Post that in his early teens, he was raped repeatedly by a ministerial servant he was paired with by the organization.

Both John Michael and Heather filed lawsuits in Brooklyn Supreme Court as soon as the New York Child Victims Act went into effect.

Dozens of other cases have reportedly been filed over the past two decades over sexual abuse by Jehovah’s Witness elders.

How Did the Jehovah’s Witness Abuse Remain Hidden?

Watchtower policies dictate that when a member of the congregation reports child abuse to an elder, no action should be taken against the accused unless there are at least two witnesses.

When Heather turned 10, she told her family about the abuse, who in turn went to the elders. But the elders tried to convince them it was all in their heads, Heather said. After her parents eventually went to the police, Nicholson was arrested and served three-and-a-half years in prison. When he got out, however, the organization immediately placed him back in a new congregation.

When John Michael’s family went to church elders and a tribunal was convened, he was not believed because of the organization’s two-witness rule. However, both he and his abuser were subsequently disfellowshipped for homosexual activity.

But the history of Jehovah’s Witness abuse goes deeper than ignoring these kinds of reports.

In fact, the organization has reportedly engaged in an active cover-up for decades. According to a report in The Atlantic, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (the organization that oversees Jehovah’s Witnesses) told its congregations back in 1997 to write detailed reports about known predators, keep a copy for their congregation’s records, and send a copy to Watchtower’s headquarters, sharing the information with no one else.

As a result, over the course of more than two decades, through the more than 10,000 congregations in the U.S. and more across the globe, the Jehovah’s Witnesses essentially created a database of child molesters who had not been officially documented. Most of these cases have not been shared with law enforcement.

Multiple court orders have been issued to Watchtower to release this information, but so far, the organization has not complied.

Victims of abuse in religious organizations, as well as other kinds of organizations, have spoken to the role that institutional culture can play in enabling abuse. According to victims, culture within the church can play a large role in enabling abuse among Jehovah’s Witnesses. In examining the institutional culture in the Southern Baptist Convention that some victims and critics believe led to a culture of sexual abuse, NPR explained that in organizations with an authoritarian culture may be conductive to sexual abuse. 

This kind of culture can lead victims to doubt their own experience or obey those in positions of power, even if authority figures are acting unethically. Such was the case with the Southern Baptist convention, allege the victims — according to some, the organization puts church authority figures ahead of other authority, including law enforcement.

Such may be the case in the alleged Jehovah’s Witness abuse problems, according to a recent article in The Guardian. The Guardian notes that two former elders with the organization told an independent inquiry into sex abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses organization that the organization sees itself as “answerable only to God…They don’t feel as though they need to yield to any regulations that are imposed on them.”

A former Jehovah’s Witness and abuse survivor echoed this sentiment, saying that the religion requires unflinching obedience and respect towards leaders, and chooses to shun those Jehovah’s Witnesses that do not follow what she considers to be strict rules. This shunning can take the form of disfellowshipping, explain victims.

Some states, like New York, have begun introducing laws to help victims of childhood sexual abuse seek justice years after the abuse took place. Plus, the New York Child Victims Act’s look back window was recently extended until August 14, 2021.

While the New York Child Victims Act and other laws across the country are opening up the possibility of litigation against organizations like Jehovah’s Witness, the Catholic Church, and more, it is very likely that the longtime cover-up will make it even more difficult for survivors to make claims, with lack of access to evidence as well as the fear of being shunned by their communities.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S., one in nine girls and one in 53 boys experience sexual abuse or assault from an adult before turning 18. For most (about 93 percent) this is an adult they know—often through a trusted organization like an after school program or a religious group.

Sexual abuse is deeply traumatic, and for many survivors (especially children), coming forward with allegations of abuse may not be a safe or viable option for a long time after the abuse takes place. Child sex abuse can affect these survivors for years, leading to drug abuse, PTSD, depression, and more.

A growing number of victims of childhood sexual abuse are coming forward in states across the country, filing lawsuits against their abusers as well as the organizations that allowed the abuse to take place. Organizations targeted by this kind of litigation have been both religious and secular in nature, and have been accused of failing to protect these victims—or even actively covering up the abuse. Lawsuits have been filed against the Boy Scouts of America, various dioceses of the Catholic Church, Jehovah’s Witness, sports organizations, and schools, among others.

How to File a Jehovah’s Witness Lawsuit

If you or someone you love have suffered from Jehovah’s Witness abuse, even if that abuse took place years or even decades ago, you may be able to file a Jehovah’s Witness lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a Jehovah’s Witness lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by child sex abuse, but it can at least offer some financial compensation, as well as hold the organization responsible accountable for their actions and inactions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially when it deals with something as painful as child abuse, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.