Despite allegations of sex abuse coverups going back decades, the Watchtower nonprofit corporation that runs the church group known as Jehovah’s Witnesses continues to operate under a veil of secrecy.

Even though the Roman Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal has made more headlines, members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses have had their own scandal that’s been kept largely under the radar.

According to the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ website, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania was formed in 1884 to provide financial support to the religious organization, allegedly for education, charities and the publications of Bible-based literature.

What the society’s website doesn’t say is that it has collected a secret database of alleged child molesters for more than 20 years. Back in the spring of 1997, the Watchtower mailed a letter to most of its congregations throughout the world expressing concern about potential legal ramifications if word got out that any member was a child molester, according to a report by The Atlantic.

Leaders at each congregation were asked to write in detail about what they knew about any known pedophiles. After answering a dozen questions, including whether or not the anyone else knew of the alleged abuse, the leaders were instructed to mail a copy to the Watchtower’s headquarters in a specially provided blue envelope. The leaders also were told to keep a copy of each report in a confidential file onsite locally, but never to share the contents with another person.

At Watchtower headquarters in Warwick, New York, the received reports were scanned and saved in a Microsoft SharePoint file, where some people estimate there may be names and addresses of tens of thousands of alleged child sexual predators. Because of the secrecy surrounding the reports, most of the allegations are believed to have escaped the attention of local police departments.

What is the Watchtower Organization?

The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the nonprofit, legal corporation that oversees Jehovah’s Witnesses. Its website says the organization exists to “preach and teach the gospel of God’s Kingdom under Christ Jesus” and its main goals are “religious, educational, and charitable.”

Members of the society are allowed to join by invitation only. Corporation members and directors serve the Governing Body, which consists of eight men.

The Watchtower’s Stance on Sexual Abuse Reporting

In order to report any allegation of sexual abuse to the authorities, the Jehovah’s Witness leaders demand at least one person besides the victim witness the abuse. The November 1995 issue of The Watchtower magazine clarifies that even if laws mandate the reporting of sexual abuse, the allegations of sexual assault should not be reported and the person accused of such assault must be considered innocent if no other witnesses exist, according to a 2001 article in Christianity Today.

In most cases of child sexual assault, the victim is alone with the perpetrator. If no other witness exists to corroborate the victim’s story – combined with the church’s leaders shunning the idea of reporting such incidents to the law – it’s no surprise child molesters have found a safe haven in the Jehovah’s Witness movement.

In 2016, an anonymous ex-Jehovah’s Witness took part in a conversation on Reddit, a social media website. The man, identified only as Ohmyjw, called the religious organization a cult that “tries to control emotions, though, information and behavior of a person.”

Ohmyjw also said that Jevohah’s Witnesses have a “big problem with child abuse” because “they believe child abuse is only a sin, not really a crime, the elders in almost all cases don’t report to the authorities” and “basically value the ‘good name of the organization’ more than the safety of the children.”

BBC interviewed those who claim they were abused within the Jehovah’s Witness community, as well as British lawmakers tackling the issue. Labor MP Sarah Champion stated that the group sees sexual abuse as “a sin that they need to deal with internally” as opposed to reporting it.

She noted her worries that there were not enough protections in place within the organization, but said that the elders were content with the amount of protection. 

To illustrate the organization’s supposed contentment with the status quo, the BBC quoted a spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses as saying that the organization does not have any programs separating children from their parents, so “the only way that a child abuser can gain access to children in a religious organization like ours…is through parents themselves.”

The spokesperson went on to say, “if a congregant has been guilty of child sexual abuse, our elders inform parents with minors so that they can take measures to protect their children.”

One victim said that when her abuse by another community member came to light, the elders required her to sit next to her abuser at a “judicial committee” meeting. She says that her abuser was jailed, but after he served time, was welcomed back into the community. 

In Champion’s eyes, this lack of policy around abuse and the willingness to let abusers back into the community is concerning. 

In an effort to better understand the possible issues in the Watchtower and Jehovah’s Witness community, BBC explains that the Charity Commission for England and Wales has been investigating the organization since 2013. 

The Watchtower Sexual Abuse Cover Up

Former Jehovah’s Witness member Mark O’Donnell spoke with The Atlantic about how he began spilling the sordid secrets of the congregation over the last few years. Anonymous sources throughout the country have stolen letters from the confidential files kept at the congregations and sent them to O’Donnell, who left the religion in 2013. O’Donnell is on a different crusade of sorts to expose the dark side of the church and stand up for victims who were ignored for decades.

One woman said she was just eight years old when her stepfather began molesting her. After two years of enduring his sexual assaults, the girl told her mom, who reported the assaults to church elders.

The church elders allegedly made the girl and her stepfather pray with them, and the stepfather was temporarily barred from leading prayers or making any comments during Bible study.

In the letters O’Donnell shared, the church did not mention notifying authorities or making any attempt to keep the perpetrator separated from children. The girl’s mom was instructed to keep quiet about the matter.

The stepdaughter, now 40 years old, told The Atlantic that her mom and stepfather divorced, but the stepfather went on to marry another woman who already had children.

Filing a Jehovah’s Witness Lawsuit

The New York Child Victims Act, along with other new and updated child sexual abuse laws all across the country, have opened up the possibility of litigation for survivors of sexual abuse. Survivors have filed lawsuits against their abusers, as well as against organizations like Jehovah’s Witness, the Catholic Church, and more.

While these news laws have in many cases extended the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits, as well as provided a look back window for survivors whose cases timed out a long time ago (the New York look back window has been extended until Aug. 14, 2021) it is still important to act as quickly as possible.

Organizations may have attempted to cover up evidence of claims, which can make it more difficult to pursue litigation. Moreover, survivors often fear being shunned by their communities, especially within organizations like Jehovah’s Witness.

If you or someone you love has suffered from child sexual abuse within Jehovah’s Witness, 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 lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by child sexual abuse, but it can at least help provide some financial compensation, as well as hold the organization responsible for the part it may have played in your suffering.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially when it deals with something as traumatic as child sexual abuse, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you 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.