Child safeguarding and the institutional handling of abuse
Dieser Abschnitt stützt sich auf die Feststellungen staatlicher Untersuchungen, auf Gerichtsurteile, auf Berichte von Aufsichtsbehörden und auf die eigenen Richtliniendokumente der Organisation. Er enthält keine drastischen Einzelheiten, bezeichnet Betroffene nur mit den Kennzeichnungen, die in den öffentlichen Unterlagen verwendet werden, und gibt zuerst den Standpunkt der Organisation wieder, in ihren eigenen Worten.
Zuletzt geprüft am 19. September 2026
Wie diese Seite zu lesen ist. Eine Feststellung ist ein Schluss, zu dem eine öffentliche Untersuchungskommission, eine Aufsichtsbehörde oder ein Gericht über die Verfahren der Organisation gelangt ist. Ein Vorwurf oder eine Anklage ist eine Beschuldigung gegen eine einzelne Person, über die noch nicht entschieden ist. Eine Verurteilung ist das Urteil eines Gerichts. Jedes davon ist als solches gekennzeichnet. Die Kritik richtet sich hier gegen veröffentlichte Richtlinien und deren Anwendung durch Zweigbüros und Älteste, nicht gegen gewöhnliche Zeugen Jehovas, die ganz überwiegend Eltern sind, die ihre Kinder schützen wollen. Wenn diese Seite Sie oder ein Kind betrifft, das Sie kennen: Hilfsangebote nach Ländern finden Sie am Ende.
The Australian Royal Commission (2016) found no evidence that the organisation had reported to police any of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators recorded in its Australian files since 1950, found a general practice of not reporting unless the law required it, found the rule’s application to child sexual abuse ‘wrong’, and concluded that children were not adequately protected.Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Since 2016 the organisation has documented reforms to its reporting practice; it has said the two-witness rule itself ‘can’t be changed or avoided’.Source: ABC News (Australia), 10. März 2017
Der Standpunkt der Organisation, in ihren eigenen Worten
Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.
Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.
If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.
The current statement describes the internal investigation as ‘a purely religious proceeding’ limited to the alleged abuser’s standing in the congregation, says it ‘is not a replacement for the authorities’ handling of the matter’, that victims are never required to make their accusation in the presence of the accused, and that an abuser ‘does not qualify to receive any congregation privileges … for decades, if ever’.Source: Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), September 2025
Mai 2019 · pp.8-13 · pars. 13-18 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.”
Par. 15. Par. 13: 'In places where such laws exist, elders endeavor to comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse.' Par. 16: 'The absence of a second witness does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful.' Par. 18: a repentant abuser 'may never qualify to receive any congregation privileges or to serve in any position of responsibility'. IICSA described this article as the document that 'explained and expanded on' the worldwide policy for congregants.
April 2021 · ch. 12 par. 40(2); ch. 14 pars. 4, 6, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) in response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1 (doc ID JHV0000012)
“Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.”
Ch. 12 par. 40(2), under 'Evidence Establishing Wrongdoing'. Ch. 14 par. 7: 'To ensure that elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws, two elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal advice when the elders learn of an accusation of child abuse', with ten listed situations in which the call must still be made, including where 'the alleged abuse is based on the testimony of only one witness'. Ch. 14 par. 4 says the victim or anyone reporting 'should be clearly informed that they have the right to report the matter to the secular authorities. Elders do not criticize anyone who chooses to make such a report'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God"—1 Peter 5:2, elders' handbook, April 2021 revision (chapters 12, 14, 16, 22), Chapter 12 'Determining Whether a Judicial Committee Should Be Formed' par. 40; Chapter 14 'Child Abuse' pars. 4-8
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. The October 2021 and April 2022 full editions (also in the NZ library, EXT9990227 and EXT9990228) contain the same chapter 14 structure; the 2019 first edition and the 2023 edition were not opened.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record); 35 pages.
Notes.The brief asked for 'ks19 ch.14: always call the branch office Legal Department first' — confirmed in this April 2021 text as ch. 14 par. 7 ('immediately call the Legal Department').
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2021-0400-shepherd-flock-ch12-ch14
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
Paragraph 5 of the organisation's current public child-protection statement. Par. 3 says elders 'do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities'; par. 4 that anyone reporting to elders is told they are free to report to the authorities; par. 11 describes the internal investigation as 'a purely religious proceeding'; par. 12 says elders 'never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser'; par. 14 says an abuser does not qualify for privileges 'for decades, if ever'; par. 15 says the document is reviewed at least every three years.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened the jw.org landing page and downloaded the official PDF (cpt_E.pdf, 176,911 bytes, dated 2025-11-19 in the CDN metadata but bearing the print code 9/25). Text extracted locally and quoted verbatim. Note the document does not use the phrase 'two witnesses' at all.
Herkunft des Scans.Official PDF served by jw.org's own CDN (resolved via the page's GETPUBMEDIALINKS API, pub=cpt); document code 'cpt-E 9/25'.
Notes.IICSA recorded the first edition as published 2018. The NZ Royal Commission copy is the 12/20 edition; wording of par. 5 changed between 12/20 and 9/25 (see the NZ entry).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2025-0900-child-protection-position
20. April 2023 · Mark Scolforo and Peter Smith · Associated Press
“does recognize abuse as a crime”
Organisation spokesman Jarrod Lopes' response, adding that members may report to authorities, that the second-witness requirement applies only to internal discipline and that elders comply with reporting laws regardless of witness availability. The AP reported nine men charged between October 2022 and February 2023 after a four-year grand jury investigation, with the Attorney General saying the investigation of the organisation itself was ongoing.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Associated Press (via WESA, Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania charges put focus on Jehovah's Witnesses' handling of abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Syndicated copy opened (wesa.fm redirected to wesanews.org).
Notes.Official PA Office of Attorney General releases (e.g. Westmoreland County, Allegheny County, Butler County case updates) could not be opened (HTTP 403); their existence is confirmed by search listings only. Archive reference removed: https://apnews.com (blocked in this environment; original AP URL not recorded)
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ap-2023-0420-wesa-pa-charges
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation erklärt, die Dienstabteilung erstatte nicht selbst Anzeige, weil 'elders have the first-hand information'; die IICSA legte nahe, eine Weiterleitung auf Ebene des Zweigbüros würde 'ensure that a report has been made' (Teil E, Abs. 6.4).
April 2021 · ch. 12 par. 40(2); ch. 14 pars. 4, 6, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) in response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1 (doc ID JHV0000012)
“Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.”
Ch. 12 par. 40(2), under 'Evidence Establishing Wrongdoing'. Ch. 14 par. 7: 'To ensure that elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws, two elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal advice when the elders learn of an accusation of child abuse', with ten listed situations in which the call must still be made, including where 'the alleged abuse is based on the testimony of only one witness'. Ch. 14 par. 4 says the victim or anyone reporting 'should be clearly informed that they have the right to report the matter to the secular authorities. Elders do not criticize anyone who chooses to make such a report'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God"—1 Peter 5:2, elders' handbook, April 2021 revision (chapters 12, 14, 16, 22), Chapter 12 'Determining Whether a Judicial Committee Should Be Formed' par. 40; Chapter 14 'Child Abuse' pars. 4-8
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. The October 2021 and April 2022 full editions (also in the NZ library, EXT9990227 and EXT9990228) contain the same chapter 14 structure; the 2019 first edition and the 2023 edition were not opened.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record); 35 pages.
Notes.The brief asked for 'ks19 ch.14: always call the branch office Legal Department first' — confirmed in this April 2021 text as ch. 14 par. 7 ('immediately call the Legal Department').
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2021-0400-shepherd-flock-ch12-ch14
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
Paragraph 5 of the organisation's current public child-protection statement. Par. 3 says elders 'do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities'; par. 4 that anyone reporting to elders is told they are free to report to the authorities; par. 11 describes the internal investigation as 'a purely religious proceeding'; par. 12 says elders 'never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser'; par. 14 says an abuser does not qualify for privileges 'for decades, if ever'; par. 15 says the document is reviewed at least every three years.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened the jw.org landing page and downloaded the official PDF (cpt_E.pdf, 176,911 bytes, dated 2025-11-19 in the CDN metadata but bearing the print code 9/25). Text extracted locally and quoted verbatim. Note the document does not use the phrase 'two witnesses' at all.
Herkunft des Scans.Official PDF served by jw.org's own CDN (resolved via the page's GETPUBMEDIALINKS API, pub=cpt); document code 'cpt-E 9/25'.
Notes.IICSA recorded the first edition as published 2018. The NZ Royal Commission copy is the 12/20 edition; wording of par. 5 changed between 12/20 and 9/25 (see the NZ entry).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2025-0900-child-protection-position
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
1. Dezember 2021 · pp.1-10 · pars. 1, 5, 6, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (World Headquarters Legal Department); produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000013)
“If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.”
Par. 8, which then lists screening questions (does the victim live in the accused's home; other minors in the home; proximity to minors) and says that if any answer is 'Yes' the Service Desk 'will direct that a report be made to the secular authorities'. Par. 1 restricts circulation to Branch Committee members, Service Department and Legal Department and forbids any electronic distribution. Par. 6: the Service Desk 'should assure the caller that he or she is free to report the allegation to the secular authorities'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks, Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Annexure K to CCJW Australasia response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. IICSA (2021) described this document as one of four core policy documents (its 2020 UK equivalent).
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record). The production date is 1 December 2021; the internal document is undated in the extract.
Notes.An earlier version of these guidelines (August 2013) was in evidence at the Australian Royal Commission (Case Study 29 report p. 21, endnote 109).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-csa-guidelines-2021-1201-branch-service-desks
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
Paragraph 5 of the organisation's current public child-protection statement. Par. 3 says elders 'do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities'; par. 4 that anyone reporting to elders is told they are free to report to the authorities; par. 11 describes the internal investigation as 'a purely religious proceeding'; par. 12 says elders 'never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser'; par. 14 says an abuser does not qualify for privileges 'for decades, if ever'; par. 15 says the document is reviewed at least every three years.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened the jw.org landing page and downloaded the official PDF (cpt_E.pdf, 176,911 bytes, dated 2025-11-19 in the CDN metadata but bearing the print code 9/25). Text extracted locally and quoted verbatim. Note the document does not use the phrase 'two witnesses' at all.
Herkunft des Scans.Official PDF served by jw.org's own CDN (resolved via the page's GETPUBMEDIALINKS API, pub=cpt); document code 'cpt-E 9/25'.
Notes.IICSA recorded the first edition as published 2018. The NZ Royal Commission copy is the 12/20 edition; wording of par. 5 changed between 12/20 and 9/25 (see the NZ entry).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2025-0900-child-protection-position
Dezember 2020 · pp.1-3 · pars. 3-5, 9-12 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced to the NZ Royal Commission by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000010)
“When elders learn of an accusation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses to ensure compliance with child abuse reporting laws. (Romans 13:1) Even if the elders have no legal duty to report an accusation to the authorities, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if a minor is still in danger of abuse or there is some other valid reason.”
Paragraph 5 of the December 2020 edition, produced to the NZ inquiry. Useful for showing the wording of the policy as it stood in 2020-2021, side by side with the 2025 edition.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 12/20), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotation verbatim.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record). Document ID JHV0000010; print code 'cpt-E 12/20'.
Notes.The NZ case study that received this document was later declared unlawful for exceeding the inquiry's terms of reference ([2026] NZHC 1295); that ruling concerns the Commission's findings, not the authenticity of documents the organisation itself produced.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2020-1200-child-protection-position-nz
Die Zwei-Zeugen-Regel: was sie besagt und wo sie gilt
The rule derives from Deuteronomy 19:15 and Matthew 18:16. In the elders’ handbook it governs whether a judicial committee can act. The text below is from the chapters produced to a New Zealand inquiry under a notice to produce; this site quotes the handbook only from such lawful exhibits.Source: Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry (New Zealand), evidence library, 2024
Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation erklärt, die Regel bestimme nur das interne Rechtsverfahren, nicht, ob Missbrauch den Behörden gemeldet wird, und dass 'das Fehlen eines zweiten Zeugen nicht bedeutet, dass derjenige, der die Anschuldigung erhebt, die Unwahrheit sagt' ( Abs. 15-16).
April 2021 · ch. 12 par. 40(2); ch. 14 pars. 4, 6, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) in response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1 (doc ID JHV0000012)
“Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.”
Ch. 12 par. 40(2), under 'Evidence Establishing Wrongdoing'. Ch. 14 par. 7: 'To ensure that elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws, two elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal advice when the elders learn of an accusation of child abuse', with ten listed situations in which the call must still be made, including where 'the alleged abuse is based on the testimony of only one witness'. Ch. 14 par. 4 says the victim or anyone reporting 'should be clearly informed that they have the right to report the matter to the secular authorities. Elders do not criticize anyone who chooses to make such a report'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God"—1 Peter 5:2, elders' handbook, April 2021 revision (chapters 12, 14, 16, 22), Chapter 12 'Determining Whether a Judicial Committee Should Be Formed' par. 40; Chapter 14 'Child Abuse' pars. 4-8
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. The October 2021 and April 2022 full editions (also in the NZ library, EXT9990227 and EXT9990228) contain the same chapter 14 structure; the 2019 first edition and the 2023 edition were not opened.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record); 35 pages.
Notes.The brief asked for 'ks19 ch.14: always call the branch office Legal Department first' — confirmed in this April 2021 text as ch. 14 par. 7 ('immediately call the Legal Department').
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2021-0400-shepherd-flock-ch12-ch14
Mai 2019 · pp.8-13 · pars. 13-18 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.”
Par. 15. Par. 13: 'In places where such laws exist, elders endeavor to comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse.' Par. 16: 'The absence of a second witness does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful.' Par. 18: a repentant abuser 'may never qualify to receive any congregation privileges or to serve in any position of responsibility'. IICSA described this article as the document that 'explained and expanded on' the worldwide policy for congregants.
2010 · pp.131-132 · pars. 18-19 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for each individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.”
Par. 19, pp. 131-132. Par. 18: 'You should immediately call the branch office for direction if you learn of an accusation of child abuse, regardless of the age of the victim now or at the time of the alleged abuse'. A margin note refers elders to the 1 October 2012 letter. This is the edition the Australian Royal Commission examined in 2015.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God" (ks10-E), elders' handbook, 2010 edition, Chapter 12 (Handling Certain Judicial Matters), 'Child Abuse', pars. 18-21
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded the NZ-hosted scan (143 pages) and text-extracted chapter 12; quotation verbatim.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library. The scan carries Australian Royal Commission document IDs (WAT.0003.001.0001 ff.; Exhibit 29-0003 per Case Study 29 report endnote 106) and NZ IDs (MSC0500457).
Notes.Not published on wol.jw.org (elders-only publication). Quoted from the copy tendered in evidence to the Australian Royal Commission; no other copy is cited.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2010-0000-shepherd-flock-ch12
What the rule meant for a lone complainant was stated in 1995: where an accusation is denied and there is no second witness, ‘nothing more can be done in a judicial way’ and the congregation ‘will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person’. The 2019 article adds that ‘the absence of a second witness does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful’.Source: The Watchtower, 1. November 1995Source: The Watchtower (study edition), Mai 2019
If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Passage steht im Rahmen einer Erörterung von 'repressed memories'; im Artikel der Organisation von 2019 heißt es nun, das Fehlen eines zweiten Zeugen 'does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful' (Abs. 16).
1. November 1995 · pp.25-29 · section 'Repressed Memories', par. beginning 'If the accusation is denied' · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)”
Written in the context of adults recovering 'repressed memories' of childhood abuse; instructs elders what to do when only one accuser exists and the accused denies it. The Royal Commission cited this article as still informing procedure in 2015 (Case Study 29 report p. 25, p. 64).
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Watchtower, Comfort for Those With a "Stricken Spirit"
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened wol.jw.org page (marker 'w95 11/1 pp. 25-29') and confirmed wording. Note wol gives pp. 25-29, not 26-29 as in the brief.
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: 'Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements' (Abs. 5.18); die Regel stehe 'in harmony with the law of evidence', und es würden auch dann Vorsichtsmaßnahmen ergriffen, wenn es an Beweisen fehlt (Abs. 9.211-9.216). Im März 2017: 'the two-witness rule is required by the scriptures and can't be changed or avoided... That's our stand' (S. 26525).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
9. November 2015 · pp.1-141 · pars. 5.17-5.18, 9.12-9.19, 9.210-9.216, 9.355-9.359 · Counsel for Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd and the elder witnesses · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth of Australia)
“Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements found in the Mosaic Law and reiterated by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. Even when the requisite Scriptural evidence is lacking, elders nevertheless take precautionary measures.”
Par. 5.18. Par. 9.16: 'when an allegation is made by an adult survivor of child sexual abuse, it is not the right of an organisation to make a report on that adult's behalf unless the adult requests that it be done.' Par. 9.211 compares the two-witness rule to the criminal standard of proof and the hearsay rule. Pars. 9.358-9.359 quote the 1 October 2012 letter to bodies of elders (pars. 11-13) on remaining 'vigilant' and warning parents.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, Submissions on behalf of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia & Others (SUBM.1029.001.0001)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the 141-page PDF; quotations verbatim. This is the organisation's formal written response to Counsel Assisting's proposed findings.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library copy of the Australian Royal Commission submission (RC doc ID SUBM.1029.001.0001; NZ ID MSC0500435).
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Paul Gillies (Büro für Öffentlichkeitsarbeit) erklärte gegenüber IICSA, das interne Verfahren diene 'ausschließlich der Feststellung, ob der Beschuldigte weiterhin einer von Jehovas Zeugen bleiben soll. Es ist ein rein kirchliches Verfahren' (Teil E Abs. 6.5).
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
“is not the organisation that is currently directly responsible for the safety of JW beneficiaries, including children”
The Commission's conclusion about Watch Tower Britain (charity 1077961) after a nine-year inquiry (opened 27 May 2014, report 4 August 2023). The inquiry found the charity had a role only in the 2011 policy; the current policy is 'a global policy used by JWs across the world' prepared at World Headquarters; responsibility passed to the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (2011) and, after March 2022 mergers, the Kingdom Hall Trust. The charity's responses 'have not been as straightforward and as transparent as they should have been', though the Commission did 'not conclude that the trustees have deliberately failed to cooperate'. Litigation (judicial review 2014-2016; Supreme Court refused permission July 2016) 'substantially constrained inquiry progress'. An NSPCC review had found the 2013 policy 'at odds with UK legislation and guidance'.
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
9. November 2015 · pp.1-141 · pars. 5.17-5.18, 9.12-9.19, 9.210-9.216, 9.355-9.359 · Counsel for Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd and the elder witnesses · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth of Australia)
“Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements found in the Mosaic Law and reiterated by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. Even when the requisite Scriptural evidence is lacking, elders nevertheless take precautionary measures.”
Par. 5.18. Par. 9.16: 'when an allegation is made by an adult survivor of child sexual abuse, it is not the right of an organisation to make a report on that adult's behalf unless the adult requests that it be done.' Par. 9.211 compares the two-witness rule to the criminal standard of proof and the hearsay rule. Pars. 9.358-9.359 quote the 1 October 2012 letter to bodies of elders (pars. 11-13) on remaining 'vigilant' and warning parents.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, Submissions on behalf of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia & Others (SUBM.1029.001.0001)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the 141-page PDF; quotations verbatim. This is the organisation's formal written response to Counsel Assisting's proposed findings.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library copy of the Australian Royal Commission submission (RC doc ID SUBM.1029.001.0001; NZ ID MSC0500435).
Meldung an die Behörden: was die veröffentlichte Richtlinie sagte und wie sie sich änderte
Elders’ handbook, 2010
Reporting is the individual’s ‘absolute right’; elders call the branch
Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for each individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.
Branch guidelines (2021) and public statement (2025)
Report whenever a child remains at risk, ‘even if there is not a legal obligation’
If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.
Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation brachte vor, dass etwa 200 der 1006 zum Zeitpunkt der ersten Anschuldigung keine Mitglieder gewesen seien, dass viele Akten aus Rechtsräumen ohne Meldepflicht stammten, dass erwachsene Betroffene das Recht hätten, selbst über eine Anzeige zu entscheiden, und dass ihre eigene Überprüfung ergeben habe: 383 mutmaßliche Täter seien 'dealt with by either police or secular authorities' (Abs. 9.12-9.19; S. 58-60). Die Kommission ließ nichts davon als Entkräftung der Feststellung gelten: 'The numbers tell their own story.'
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
9. November 2015 · pp.1-141 · pars. 5.17-5.18, 9.12-9.19, 9.210-9.216, 9.355-9.359 · Counsel for Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd and the elder witnesses · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth of Australia)
“Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements found in the Mosaic Law and reiterated by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. Even when the requisite Scriptural evidence is lacking, elders nevertheless take precautionary measures.”
Par. 5.18. Par. 9.16: 'when an allegation is made by an adult survivor of child sexual abuse, it is not the right of an organisation to make a report on that adult's behalf unless the adult requests that it be done.' Par. 9.211 compares the two-witness rule to the criminal standard of proof and the hearsay rule. Pars. 9.358-9.359 quote the 1 October 2012 letter to bodies of elders (pars. 11-13) on remaining 'vigilant' and warning parents.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, Submissions on behalf of Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia & Others (SUBM.1029.001.0001)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the 141-page PDF; quotations verbatim. This is the organisation's formal written response to Counsel Assisting's proposed findings.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library copy of the Australian Royal Commission submission (RC doc ID SUBM.1029.001.0001; NZ ID MSC0500435).
Von den 1006 mutmaßlichen Tätern, die in den australischen Akten verzeichnet sind, hatten 579 sexuellen Kindesmissbrauch gestanden; 108 waren zum Zeitpunkt des ersten mutmaßlichen Missbrauchs Älteste oder Dienstamtgehilfen; 28 wurden nach einer Anschuldigung als Älteste oder Dienstamtgehilfen ernannt; und 230 von 401, denen wegen sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs die Gemeinschaft entzogen worden war, wurden später wieder aufgenommen. Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation erklärte, 'a mere recitation of numbers will not help the [Royal] Commission', und ihre Definition meldepflichtigen Fehlverhaltens sei weit gefasst (sie schließe 'sexting' ein) (S. 59).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Die Royal Commission stellte fest, dass es die allgemeine Praxis der Organisation der Zeugen Jehovas in Australien war, Vorwürfe sexuellen Kindesmissbrauchs nicht bei der Polizei oder anderen Behörden zu melden, sofern das Gesetz es nicht verlangte, und dass diese Praxis 'ein schwerwiegendes Versäumnis der Organisation erkennen lässt, für die Sicherheit und den Schutz von Kindern zu sorgen'. Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation machte geltend, jede Feststellung einer 'Richtlinie, nicht zu melden' sei falsch; die Kommission entgegnete, dass es 'zwar möglicherweise keine ausdrückliche Richtlinie gibt, es aber die Praxis der Organisation ist, solchen Missbrauch nicht zu melden, solange keine gesetzliche Pflicht dazu besteht' (S. 61). Seit 2015 erklärt die Organisation, sie melde jedes Mal, wenn ein Kind gefährdet ist; bei der Anhörung im März 2017 gab sie an, 15 von 17 neuen Vorwürfen seien gemeldet worden.
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Precision on the 1,006 figure. The number is of alleged perpetrators recorded in the Australian branch’s files since 1950. The Commission found no evidence that the organisation had reported any of them; it did not find that none were ever reported by anyone, and it recorded that 161 had been convicted after coming to police attention by other routes. The organisation objected that the figure includes people who were not members at the time and reflects a broad definition; the Commission answered that ‘the simple fact is that the organisation has files relating to 1,006 alleged abusers’. The figure is Australian only.Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, 9. November 2015
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation berief sich darauf als Nachweis, dass sie nie von einer Anzeige abgeraten habe; die Kommission nannte dies 'a passive policy' und erklärte, die Begründung mit dem 'absolute right' 'does nothing to protect' eine beschwerdeführende Person, die noch ein Kind ist (Bericht S. 61-62).
2010 · pp.131-132 · pars. 18-19 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for each individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.”
Par. 19, pp. 131-132. Par. 18: 'You should immediately call the branch office for direction if you learn of an accusation of child abuse, regardless of the age of the victim now or at the time of the alleged abuse'. A margin note refers elders to the 1 October 2012 letter. This is the edition the Australian Royal Commission examined in 2015.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God" (ks10-E), elders' handbook, 2010 edition, Chapter 12 (Handling Certain Judicial Matters), 'Child Abuse', pars. 18-21
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded the NZ-hosted scan (143 pages) and text-extracted chapter 12; quotation verbatim.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library. The scan carries Australian Royal Commission document IDs (WAT.0003.001.0001 ff.; Exhibit 29-0003 per Case Study 29 report endnote 106) and NZ IDs (MSC0500457).
Notes.Not published on wol.jw.org (elders-only publication). Quoted from the copy tendered in evidence to the Australian Royal Commission; no other copy is cited.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2010-0000-shepherd-flock-ch12
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation stellt dies als seit Langem bestehende, lediglich klargestellte Standpunkte dar und nicht als Reformen (cpt Abs. 2: 'seit Langem bestehender und weithin veröffentlichter, biblisch begründeter Standpunkt').
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
Paragraph 5 of the organisation's current public child-protection statement. Par. 3 says elders 'do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities'; par. 4 that anyone reporting to elders is told they are free to report to the authorities; par. 11 describes the internal investigation as 'a purely religious proceeding'; par. 12 says elders 'never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser'; par. 14 says an abuser does not qualify for privileges 'for decades, if ever'; par. 15 says the document is reviewed at least every three years.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened the jw.org landing page and downloaded the official PDF (cpt_E.pdf, 176,911 bytes, dated 2025-11-19 in the CDN metadata but bearing the print code 9/25). Text extracted locally and quoted verbatim. Note the document does not use the phrase 'two witnesses' at all.
Herkunft des Scans.Official PDF served by jw.org's own CDN (resolved via the page's GETPUBMEDIALINKS API, pub=cpt); document code 'cpt-E 9/25'.
Notes.IICSA recorded the first edition as published 2018. The NZ Royal Commission copy is the 12/20 edition; wording of par. 5 changed between 12/20 and 9/25 (see the NZ entry).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2025-0900-child-protection-position
Mai 2019 · pp.8-13 · pars. 13-18 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.”
Par. 15. Par. 13: 'In places where such laws exist, elders endeavor to comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse.' Par. 16: 'The absence of a second witness does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful.' Par. 18: a repentant abuser 'may never qualify to receive any congregation privileges or to serve in any position of responsibility'. IICSA described this article as the document that 'explained and expanded on' the worldwide policy for congregants.
April 2021 · ch. 12 par. 40(2); ch. 14 pars. 4, 6, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) in response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1 (doc ID JHV0000012)
“Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.”
Ch. 12 par. 40(2), under 'Evidence Establishing Wrongdoing'. Ch. 14 par. 7: 'To ensure that elders comply with child-abuse reporting laws, two elders should immediately call the Legal Department for legal advice when the elders learn of an accusation of child abuse', with ten listed situations in which the call must still be made, including where 'the alleged abuse is based on the testimony of only one witness'. Ch. 14 par. 4 says the victim or anyone reporting 'should be clearly informed that they have the right to report the matter to the secular authorities. Elders do not criticize anyone who chooses to make such a report'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for "Shepherd the Flock of God"—1 Peter 5:2, elders' handbook, April 2021 revision (chapters 12, 14, 16, 22), Chapter 12 'Determining Whether a Judicial Committee Should Be Formed' par. 40; Chapter 14 'Child Abuse' pars. 4-8
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. The October 2021 and April 2022 full editions (also in the NZ library, EXT9990227 and EXT9990228) contain the same chapter 14 structure; the 2019 first edition and the 2023 edition were not opened.
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record); 35 pages.
Notes.The brief asked for 'ks19 ch.14: always call the branch office Legal Department first' — confirmed in this April 2021 text as ch. 14 par. 7 ('immediately call the Legal Department').
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ks-2021-0400-shepherd-flock-ch12-ch14
1. Dezember 2021 · pp.1-10 · pars. 1, 5, 6, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (World Headquarters Legal Department); produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000013)
“If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.”
Par. 8, which then lists screening questions (does the victim live in the accused's home; other minors in the home; proximity to minors) and says that if any answer is 'Yes' the Service Desk 'will direct that a report be made to the secular authorities'. Par. 1 restricts circulation to Branch Committee members, Service Department and Legal Department and forbids any electronic distribution. Par. 6: the Service Desk 'should assure the caller that he or she is free to report the allegation to the secular authorities'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks, Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Annexure K to CCJW Australasia response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. IICSA (2021) described this document as one of four core policy documents (its 2020 UK equivalent).
Herkunft des Scans.New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record). The production date is 1 December 2021; the internal document is undated in the extract.
Notes.An earlier version of these guidelines (August 2013) was in evidence at the Australian Royal Commission (Case Study 29 report p. 21, endnote 109).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-csa-guidelines-2021-1201-branch-service-desks
1. August 2016 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia (on behalf of the Governing Body's direction) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“That is a letter to All Bodies of Elders dated 1 August 2016. It is on the letterhead of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia.”
Counsel Assisting (Mr Stewart SC) introducing the letter in evidence, transcript p. 26500. At p. 26505 Mr O'Brien agreed that 'as at the date of the 1 August 2016 letter, the 1 October 2012 letter no longer applies'. The letter is the organisation's main post-Case-Study-29 policy revision, later superseded by the 2018 public policy and the 2019 elders' handbook.
No online copy located.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Letter to All Bodies of Elders, 'Protecting Minors From Abuse', letter to all bodies of elders, 1 August 2016 (exhibited at Royal Commission Case Study 54, 10 March 2017)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The letter was not opened; its existence, date and status are established from the Case Study 54 transcript (copy opened) and the ABC's reporting of the hearing.
Notes.Sometimes called the 'August 2016 letter'. The brief's suggestion of a 2 September 2019 letter could not be located in any inquiry or court record examined.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-boe-2016-0801-letter-protecting-minors
10. März 2017 · pp.26486-26574 · pp. 26491-26493, 26500, 26505, 26513, 26524-26525, 26530, 26543 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“THE CHAIR: Yes. But if there are not two witnesses, you don't accept it, do you? MR O'BRIEN: Because scripturally we're not able to.”
P. 26543:13-16. At p. 26525:17-21 Mr O'Brien confirmed the organisation's response to the recommendation to modify the two-witness rule: 'the two-witness rule is required by the scriptures and can't be changed or avoided ... That's correct. That's our stand.' Counsel Assisting's opening (pp. 26492-26493) said that of 17 allegations received since Case Study 29 the organisation had reported 15 to the authorities, the two exceptions being adult survivors who elected not to report. At p. 26513 Mr O'Brien described the Branch Office practice of instructing elders that where there is a risk to a child 'the matter is to be reported to the police'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 54 (Institutional review of the Jehovah's Witnesses), transcript Day 259, Evidence of Terrence O'Brien and Rodney Spinks, 10 March 2017
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Official transcript not opened (host unreachable); a complete copy was opened and the central quotation matches the ABC's contemporaneous report. Upgrade to 'verified' once the official PDF is opened.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the DTI transcript (89 pp.) hosted by saysorry.org, a survivor-advocacy (discovery-tier) site; used because the official host was unreachable. Key quotation independently reported by ABC News on the day.
Notes.Case Study 54 was the follow-up 'institutional review' hearing held on Friday 10 March 2017. The Governing Body did not give evidence at this hearing.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2017-0310-cs54-day259-transcript
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Herr Jackson sagte, die Entscheidungsfindung 'beruht auf dem Grundsatz der Leitung ... dass gemäß der Schrift die Männer die endgültigen Entscheidungen treffen', dass aber zwei Frauen, die einem Opfer nahestehen, dessen Aussage aufnehmen und den Ältesten übermitteln können ( S. 67). In der aktuellen öffentlichen Richtlinie heißt es, Opfer könnten von 'einer Vertrauensperson beiderlei Geschlechts' begleitet werden ( Abs. 12).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation erklärte, es sei 'not an evidential requirement that a child or adult survivor confront their abuser', und bei der Anhörung habe es 'some confusion' gegeben (Abs. 5.16).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
Paragraph 5 of the organisation's current public child-protection statement. Par. 3 says elders 'do not shield any perpetrator of child abuse from the authorities'; par. 4 that anyone reporting to elders is told they are free to report to the authorities; par. 11 describes the internal investigation as 'a purely religious proceeding'; par. 12 says elders 'never require victims of child abuse to present their accusation in the presence of the alleged abuser'; par. 14 says an abuser does not qualify for privileges 'for decades, if ever'; par. 15 says the document is reviewed at least every three years.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection (cpt-E 9/25), Jehovah's Witnesses' Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened the jw.org landing page and downloaded the official PDF (cpt_E.pdf, 176,911 bytes, dated 2025-11-19 in the CDN metadata but bearing the print code 9/25). Text extracted locally and quoted verbatim. Note the document does not use the phrase 'two witnesses' at all.
Herkunft des Scans.Official PDF served by jw.org's own CDN (resolved via the page's GETPUBMEDIALINKS API, pub=cpt); document code 'cpt-E 9/25'.
Notes.IICSA recorded the first edition as published 2018. The NZ Royal Commission copy is the 12/20 edition; wording of par. 5 changed between 12/20 and 9/25 (see the NZ entry).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cpt-2025-0900-child-protection-position
26. Juli 2017 · Findings; Conclusions · Charity Commission (gov.uk)
“Mr Rose was permitted to cross-examine at [sic] individuals whom he had been convicted of indecently assaulting”
The Charity Commission’s inquiry report into the congregation’s handling of safeguarding. The report records that the individual concerned had been convicted in 2013 of indecent assault and imprisoned, and that the trustees did not engage openly and candidly with the Commission.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses: inquiry report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk report page opened; quotations confirmed.
Der Wachtturm vom 1. Januar 1997 erklärte, 'a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation', und er könne auch keinen Pionierdienst ausüben; zugleich hieß es, ein reuiger Täter dürfe 'share in the field service', und die Versammlung 'will not protect him' vor staatlichen Sanktionen. Source: The Watchtower, 1. Januar 1997
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: The organisation cites this article as evidence of a long-standing protective stance ( ch. 14 par. 4 cites w97 2/1 p. 29).
1. Januar 1997 · pp.26-29 · pars. on p. 29 (child molesters) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.”
The same article says: 'Depending on the law of the land where he lives, the molester may well have to serve a prison term or face other sanctions from the State. The congregation will not protect him from this.' It does not instruct elders to report; it also says a repentant abuser may 'share in the field service'. Courts later examined a 14 March 1997 letter to elders issued alongside this article (see Lopez and Padron).
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Watchtower machte geltend, die Unterlagen seien vertraulich, und später, dass Unterlagen nach 2001 nicht zugänglich seien; das Gericht bezeichnete Letzteres als 'Taktiererei'.
9. November 2017 · Holding and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“$2,000 per day for every day Watchtower did not produce responsive documents and $2,000 per day for every day Watchtower did not search for responsive documents”
The San Diego Superior Court sanction ($4,000/day in total) imposed after Watchtower's counsel 'unequivocally informed' the court on 8 April 2016 that it would not comply with a 25 March 2016 order to produce all responses to the 14 March 1997 letter (redacted for victim and elder names). The Court of Appeal affirmed, describing Watchtower's conduct as 'abuse of the discovery process' and noting it had argued against production at least five times.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One, Padron v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (No. D070723)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Full opinion opened on FindLaw. The opinion does not state the total accrued; press reports of 'more than $2 million' are not confirmed here.
14. April 2016 · Holdings and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“known to have been guilty of child molestation”
The court's description of the 14 March 1997 letter whose responses the trial court had ordered produced. The trial court had struck Watchtower's answer for refusing to comply and entered a $13.5 million default judgment; the Court of Appeal upheld the document-production order but vacated the terminating sanction and default judgment because lesser sanctions should have been tried first, and vacated the order to depose Governing Body member Gerrit Lösch.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division One, Lopez v. Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. (No. D066388)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Full opinion opened on FindLaw.
14. März 1997 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“known to have been guilty of child molestation”
The phrase the California Court of Appeal used in Lopez (2016) when describing the March 14, 1997 letter and the documents elders sent to headquarters in response. The Padron (2017) court ordered production of all responses to this letter and upheld daily sanctions for non-compliance.
No online copy located.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Letter to All Bodies of Elders, Letter to all bodies of elders, 14 March 1997 (requesting information on members 'known to have been guilty of child molestation')
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The letter was not opened; its date and subject are taken from two appellate opinions that were opened (Lopez, Padron).
In England the Charity Commission found misconduct or mismanagement by the trustees of one congregation (2017) and, after a nine-year inquiry that the charity contested up to the Supreme Court, found the national charity’s responses ‘not as straightforward and as transparent as they should have been’ (2023). It did not conclude that trustees deliberately failed to cooperate, and it found that the policy is set globally at world headquarters.Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, 26. Juli 2017Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4. August 2023
not as straightforward or transparent as they should have been
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die gemeinnützige Organisation überarbeitete daraufhin ihre Richtlinie, sodass Opfer ihre Vorwürfe nicht in Anwesenheit der mutmaßlichen Täter vorbringen müssen.
26. Juli 2017 · Findings; Conclusions · Charity Commission (gov.uk)
“Mr Rose was permitted to cross-examine at [sic] individuals whom he had been convicted of indecently assaulting”
The Charity Commission’s inquiry report into the congregation’s handling of safeguarding. The report records that the individual concerned had been convicted in 2013 of indecent assault and imprisoned, and that the trustees did not engage openly and candidly with the Commission.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses: inquiry report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk report page opened; quotations confirmed.
“As our report makes clear, the victims of abuse were badly let down by the charity. The trustees should have made the victims' welfare their first priority.”
Harvey Grenville, Head of Investigations and Enforcement. The release records that the charity subsequently revised its policy 'to ensure abuse victims are not required to make allegations in the presence of alleged abusers'. Page marked withdrawn 7 December 2023.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Investigation leads to improvements in safeguarding at Jehovah's Witnesses charity (press release)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk page opened; quotation confirmed.
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
Nach einer neunjährigen gesetzlichen Untersuchung (2014-2023), die durch die Prozesse der gemeinnützigen Organisation bis hinauf zum Supreme Court in die Länge gezogen wurde, kam die Charity Commission zu dem Schluss, dass die Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain nicht mehr die Stelle ist, die für den Kinderschutz in den Versammlungen verantwortlich ist, dass ihre Kinderschutzrichtlinie eine in der Weltzentrale erstellte weltweite Richtlinie ist und dass die Antworten der Treuhänder 'nicht so geradeheraus und so transparent waren, wie sie hätten sein sollen'. Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4. August 2023Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4. August 2023Source: Charity Commission for England and Wales, 10. Juni 2014
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die gemeinnützige Organisation erklärte, die Kommission 'hätte durchgehend klarstellen müssen, dass das Zweigkomitee Großbritannien dafür verantwortlich war und weiterhin ist, dass die Kinderschutzrichtlinie von Jehovas Zeugen mit den Gesetzen von England und Wales übereinstimmt'; gegenüber IICSA bezeichnete Herr Gillies die Untersuchung als 'offenkundig unfair' ( Teil F Abs. 17).
“is not the organisation that is currently directly responsible for the safety of JW beneficiaries, including children”
The Commission's conclusion about Watch Tower Britain (charity 1077961) after a nine-year inquiry (opened 27 May 2014, report 4 August 2023). The inquiry found the charity had a role only in the 2011 policy; the current policy is 'a global policy used by JWs across the world' prepared at World Headquarters; responsibility passed to the Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (2011) and, after March 2022 mergers, the Kingdom Hall Trust. The charity's responses 'have not been as straightforward and as transparent as they should have been', though the Commission did 'not conclude that the trustees have deliberately failed to cooperate'. Litigation (judicial review 2014-2016; Supreme Court refused permission July 2016) 'substantially constrained inquiry progress'. An NSPCC review had found the 2013 policy 'at odds with UK legislation and guidance'.
“not as straightforward or transparent as they should have been”
How the Commission characterised the trustees' conduct during the inquiry regarding who held safeguarding responsibility. The release records 67 child-abuse allegations reported against individuals in JW congregations between 2009 and 2019 and quotes Chief Executive Helen Stephenson: 'a charity must be a safe, trusted environment'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Watchdog reports on investigation into Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain (press release)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk page opened; quotations confirmed.
“The Commission's concerns have been amplified by recent criminal cases concerning historic incidents of abuse involving individuals who appear to have been connected to Jehovah's Witnesses congregations.”
Announcing statutory inquiries into Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain (charity 1077961, opened 27 May 2014) and Manchester New Moston Congregation (charity 1065201, opened 30 May 2014). The release stresses the Commission 'is not a safeguarding authority and its inquiries will not investigate allegations of abuse'. Page marked withdrawn 19 October 2023 (inquiries concluded).
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Charity Commission investigates Jehovah's Witnesses charities (press release)
Notes.Both charities announced they would challenge the inquiries; the challenge went to the Court of Appeal (dismissed March 2016) and Supreme Court (permission refused July 2016) per the 2023 report.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cc-2014-0610-press-release-inquiries-opened
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation bezeichnete den Bericht als 'wissenschaftlich und sachlich unrichtig und verleumderisch' und beantragte eine einstweilige Verfügung; später machte sie geltend, der Staat diskriminiere, indem er sich auf eine einzige Gemeinschaft konzentriere, und erklärte, sie habe die empfohlene unabhängige interne Meldestelle nicht eingerichtet.
Belege anzeigen (3 Quellen)
Von Fachleuten begutachtet / wissenschaftlichGeprüft
Through a contact point set up by the university. Of respondents, about 80% had reported to elders and 27% had filed a police report; 75% were dissatisfied with the internal handling (average score 3.3/10) against 6.4/10 for the police. The team, led by Professor Kees van den Bos, recommended an internal reporting centre with trained staff, elder training, annual reporting and consideration of mandatory reporting; it stressed the findings are not claimed to be fully representative.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Utrecht University news, Discontent among part of Jehovah's Witnesses about internal handling of abuse complaints
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Page opened; figures confirmed.
23. Januar 2020 · Kees van den Bos et al. (Universiteit Utrecht) · WODC, Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid (repository handle 20.500.12832/2450)
“Seksueel misbruik en aangiftebereidheid binnen de gemeenschap van de Jehova's Getuigen”
Title as cited in the Dutch court's ruling of 23 January 2020, which records that the report was accepted by the WODC director on 11 December 2019 after unanimous positive advice from its supervisory committee. Commissioned by the WODC at the request of the Ministry of Justice and Security following a parliamentary motion; published 23 January 2020.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for WODC (Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek- en Documentatiecentrum) / Universiteit Utrecht, Seksueel misbruik en aangiftebereidheid binnen de gemeenschap van Jehova's getuigen (Sexual abuse and willingness to report within the Jehovah's Witnesses community)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The report PDF itself was not opened (the WODC repository serves a JavaScript application to automated fetches; the item was confirmed via the repository's search API). Its findings are taken from Utrecht University's release and the court and parliamentary records, all opened.
“the government is guilty of discrimination because it is focusing solely on one religious community”
The organisation's position as reported. The article gives the report's figures (751 reports; 292 from victims themselves) and notes the organisation said it had provided pastoral care for years but had not implemented the recommended 'central internal independent hotline'.
23. Januar 2020 · Section 4 'De beslissing', 4.1-4.2 · mr. R.A. Steenbergen (voorzieningenrechter) · Raad voor de Rechtspraak (open data)
“Juridisch gezien ligt de drempel voor een publicatieverbod hoog. Het belang dat met het rapport gediend wordt, weegt zwaarder dan de bezwaren van de Jehovah's Getuigen, ook omdat die bezwaren voor een belangrijk deel onjuist zijn.”
(Gloss: Legally the threshold for a publication ban is high. The interest served by the report outweighs the Jehovah's Witnesses' objections, also because those objections are largely incorrect.) The Jehovah's Witnesses sought to prevent publication of the WODC/Utrecht report on the day it was due to be released; the court 'wijst de vorderingen af' (dismissed the claims) and ordered them to pay costs. An appeal was rejected by the Gerechtshof Arnhem-Leeuwarden in August 2020.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Rechtbank Midden-Nederland (District Court of Central Netherlands), voorzieningenrechter, Christelijke Gemeente van Jehovah's Getuigen Nederland c.s. v Universiteit Utrecht and the State, ECLI:NL:RBMNE:2020:227 (kort geding, C/16/495765 / KG ZA 20-25)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Full judgment XML retrieved from the Rechtspraak open-data endpoint; quotations verbatim.
“Het rapport volgt uit gedegen, genuanceerd wetenschappelijk onderzoek en is getoetst door een wetenschappelijke begeleidingscommissie.”
(Gloss: the report follows from thorough, nuanced scientific research and was reviewed by a scientific supervisory committee.) The university records that the Gerechtshof Arnhem-Leeuwarden rejected the Jehovah's Witnesses' appeal against publication (decision reported as 4 August 2020 in legal databases).
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Universiteit Utrecht nieuws, Onderzoeksrapport over misbruik binnen gemeenschap Jehova's getuigen blijft openbaar, ook na hoger beroep
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Page opened; quotation confirmed.
“the government is guilty of discrimination because it is focusing solely on one religious community”
The organisation's position as reported. The article gives the report's figures (751 reports; 292 from victims themselves) and notes the organisation said it had provided pastoral care for years but had not implemented the recommended 'central internal independent hotline'.
Der niederländische Minister für Rechtsschutz erklärte gegenüber dem Parlament, der Bericht zeichne ein 'äußerst besorgniserregendes' Bild, in dem Anzeigen bei der Polizei durch den geschlossenen Charakter der Gemeinschaft erschwert würden, forderte die Leitung auf, eine unabhängige Meldestelle einzurichten, und kündigte an, sich mit ihr zu treffen. Source: Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal, Kamerstuk 34843 nr. 39, 27. Januar 2020
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation erklärte später, sie leiste seelsorgerische Betreuung, habe aber keine zentrale unabhängige Meldestelle eingerichtet.
27. Januar 2020 · S. Dekker, Minister voor Rechtsbescherming · Officiële bekendmakingen (overheid.nl)
“uit het onderzoek blijkt dat redenen zijn om aan te nemen dat het doen van aangifte bemoeilijkt wordt door het gesloten karakter van de gemeenschap”
(Gloss: the research shows there are reasons to assume that reporting to the police is made harder by the closed character of the community.) The minister described the picture as 'extremely concerning', urged the leadership to set up an independent reporting point and announced a meeting with them; a separate November 2019 WODC report addressed widening mandatory reporting.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal, Kamerstuk 34843 nr. 39, Brief van de Minister voor Rechtsbescherming inzake seksuele intimidatie en geweld (WODC-rapport Jehova's getuigen)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Parliamentary paper opened; quotation confirmed.
Notes.The organisation later (December 2023) sued the Dutch State alleging discrimination; a court rejected that claim (NOS, 2024) — not opened, so not relied on.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-tk-2020-0127-kamerbrief-dekker
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Bei der Anhörung im März 2017 erklärte die Organisation, die Zwei-Zeugen-Regel 'kann nicht geändert oder umgangen werden' und es sei ihr 'durch die Schrift untersagt, die Anwendung der Zwei-Zeugen-Regel zu ändern' ( S. 26491, 26525). Eine spätere öffentliche Erklärung, in der 16.27-16.29 angenommen werden, wurde nicht gefunden.
15. Dezember 2017 · Recommendations 16.27, 16.28, 16.29 · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse · Commonwealth of Australia
“abandon its application of the two witness rule in cases involving complaints of child sexual abuse”
Recommendation 16.27 as summarised in the search index of the official site and in secondary sources; 16.28 asks the organisation to revise its policies so that women are involved in processes for investigating and determining allegations of child sexual abuse; 16.29 asks it to no longer require members to shun those who disassociate where the reason relates to their being a victim of child sexual abuse. The Jehovah's Witnesses chapter is chapter 15 of Book 3 (confirmed from the Volume 16 table of contents in Book 2, which was opened).
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Final Report, Volume 16 Religious institutions, Book 3, Chapter 15 Jehovah's Witnesses; Recommendations 16.27-16.29
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Neither the official nor the royalcommission.gov.au copy of Book 3 could be downloaded from this environment (both hosts time out / TLS fails; a Python download was left running). The recommendation wording is consistent across the official site's search snippet, the ABC's 2017 reporting, the Case Study 54 transcript (which describes the recommendations as they stood in the Case Study 29 report) and multiple secondary summaries, and the claims it supports are labelled accordingly.
Notes.Volume 16 Book 2 (Catholic Church) was downloaded from tjhcouncil.org.au and its contents page confirms Book 3 contains '15 Jehovah's Witnesses'. Final Report presented 15 December 2017.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2017-1215-final-report-vol16-bk3
10. März 2017 · pp.26486-26574 · pp. 26491-26493, 26500, 26505, 26513, 26524-26525, 26530, 26543 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“THE CHAIR: Yes. But if there are not two witnesses, you don't accept it, do you? MR O'BRIEN: Because scripturally we're not able to.”
P. 26543:13-16. At p. 26525:17-21 Mr O'Brien confirmed the organisation's response to the recommendation to modify the two-witness rule: 'the two-witness rule is required by the scriptures and can't be changed or avoided ... That's correct. That's our stand.' Counsel Assisting's opening (pp. 26492-26493) said that of 17 allegations received since Case Study 29 the organisation had reported 15 to the authorities, the two exceptions being adult survivors who elected not to report. At p. 26513 Mr O'Brien described the Branch Office practice of instructing elders that where there is a risk to a child 'the matter is to be reported to the police'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 54 (Institutional review of the Jehovah's Witnesses), transcript Day 259, Evidence of Terrence O'Brien and Rodney Spinks, 10 March 2017
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Official transcript not opened (host unreachable); a complete copy was opened and the central quotation matches the ABC's contemporaneous report. Upgrade to 'verified' once the official PDF is opened.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the DTI transcript (89 pp.) hosted by saysorry.org, a survivor-advocacy (discovery-tier) site; used because the official host was unreachable. Key quotation independently reported by ABC News on the day.
Notes.Case Study 54 was the follow-up 'institutional review' hearing held on Friday 10 March 2017. The Governing Body did not give evidence at this hearing.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2017-0310-cs54-day259-transcript
10. März 2017 · Nicole Chettle and Michelle Brown · Australian Broadcasting Corporation
“Because scripturally we're not able to.”
Terrence O'Brien's answer, as reported, when Justice McClellan pressed him on the two-witness rule at the 10 March 2017 hearing. The report also records that of 17 allegations since 2015, 15 were reported to police, and that the US-based hierarchy declined to appear.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for ABC News (Australia), Uniting Church apologises to victims of sexual abuse, Jehovah's Witnesses defend treatment
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Article opened; quotation confirmed.
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
“not as straightforward or transparent as they should have been”
How the Commission characterised the trustees' conduct during the inquiry regarding who held safeguarding responsibility. The release records 67 child-abuse allegations reported against individuals in JW congregations between 2009 and 2019 and quotes Chief Executive Helen Stephenson: 'a charity must be a safe, trusted environment'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Charity Commission for England and Wales, Watchdog reports on investigation into Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain (press release)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk page opened; quotations confirmed.
In Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) meldeten Älteste, denen 2016 vom mutmaßlichen Missbrauch einer Tochter durch ihren Vater berichtet worden war, dies erst im Juli 2019 der Polizei, während er weiterhin im Haushalt lebte; Richterin Lieven sprach von 'sehr großer Sorge um den Schutz von Kindern innerhalb der Gemeinschaft der Zeugen Jehovas', und IICSA erklärte, eine Meldung 'hätte von den Ältesten erfolgen müssen, als sie erstmals von der Beschwerde erfuhren'. Source: Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), 2. September 2021
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Herr Gillies sagte, 'die Ältesten nahmen die Zusicherungen der Mutter hin, dass sie für angemessenen Schutz sorge', und nach der gegenwärtigen Richtlinie würde eine Meldung selbst dann erfolgen, wenn der Elternteil sich weigert (IICSA Teil E Abs. 7).
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
Die Royal Commission lehnte es ab, die Einschätzungen von Dr. Monica Applewhite, der von der Organisation beauftragten Sachverständigen, zu übernehmen, weil ihr Gutachten die zugrunde gelegten Tatsachen und Annahmen nicht benannte, die Organisation mit nicht näher bezeichneten anderen Religionsgemeinschaften verglich und die Erfahrungen der Betroffenen nicht berücksichtigte. Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Das Gutachten von Dr. Applewhite erklärte, die Unterlagen der Organisation seien 'consistent with, and in some respects better than' die Praxis anderer Religionsgemeinschaften (Bericht S. 74).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Die Royal Commission erfuhr, dass die Furcht davor, gemieden zu werden, Mitglieder davon abhält, die Organisation zu verlassen, und dass die Betroffene BCG und ihre drei Kinder nach ihrem Weggang von Mitgliedern ihrer früheren Versammlung 'vollständig gemieden und ausgegrenzt wurden und man ihnen bewusst aus dem Weg ging'; die Kommission führte die Meidung derer, die die Organisation verlassen möchten, unter den problematischen Richtlinien der Organisation auf. Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Bei der Anhörung von 2017 stellte Herr Spinks die Distanzierung als Entscheidung des Einzelnen dar; Herr O'Brien bestätigte, dass die Praxis auf der Auslegung der Schrift beruht.
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Der High Court Neuseelands stellte fest, dass die 2024 erschienene Fallstudie der Royal Commission zu Missbrauch in Betreuungseinrichtungen über Jehovas Zeugen rechtswidrig war, weil sie den Untersuchungsauftrag überschritt, wies jedoch die Rügen der Organisation zur Religionsfreiheit und zum fairen Verfahren zurück. Source: High Court of New Zealand, Wellington Registry, 15. Mai 2026
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation hatte die Entfernung der Fallstudie beantragt; das Gericht erließ lediglich eine Feststellung.
15. Mai 2026 · pp.63 pp. · [205] · Boldt J · Courts of New Zealand
“I declare that the whole of the Commission's "Jehovah's Witnesses" case study was unlawful as it exceeded the inquiry's terms of reference.”
Para [205]. The court dismissed the organisation's Bill of Rights and natural-justice grounds but held the 57-page Whanaketia case study (2024) went beyond 'abuse in care', the Commission having identified only one instance of abuse in the care of an elder in the inquiry period. The declaration marks the illegality but does not remove the report from the parliamentary record.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for High Court of New Zealand, Wellington Registry, Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) Ltd v Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions [2026] NZHC 1295
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Judgment PDF opened and quoted verbatim.
Notes.Consequence for this project: do not rely on the NZ case study's findings; the organisation's own documents produced to that inquiry remain authentic primary material.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-nzhc-2026-0515-ccjw-v-royal-commission
Die Aussage eines Mitglieds der leitenden Körperschaft
On 14 August 2015 Governing Body member Geoffrey Jackson gave evidence by video. Asked whether the Governing Body sees itself as ‘Jehovah God’s spokespeople on earth’, he answered: ‘That I think would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using’, and went on to say that the Governing Body sees itself as trying to fulfil the role of the ‘slave’ of Matthew 24. The Commission commented that this ‘seems to be inconsistent with the documentary evidence’ describing the Governing Body as the channel of Jehovah’s will. On the two-witness rule he said its scriptural basis was ‘absolutely’ established, that it concerns only whether a judicial committee is set up, and that ‘circumstances can also be one of the witnesses’. Transcript copies were used because the Commission’s website could not be reached during research; page and line references are in the source record.Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, transcript Day 155, 14. August 2015Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Jackson fügte hinzu, die leitende Körperschaft sehe sich als jemand, der die Rolle des 'Sklaven' aus Matthäus 24, der für 'geistige Speise' zuständig ist, 'zu erfüllen versucht' (Protokoll S. 15937:39-47).
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
14. August 2015 · pp.15929-16000 · p. 15937 lines 35-47; p. 15966 lines 6-17; p. 15967 lines 19-47 to p. 15968 line 13; p. 15971 line 43 to p. 15972 line 10; p. 15988 lines 24-33 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“Q. And do you see yourselves as Jehovah God's spokespeople on earth? A. That I think would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using.”
P. 15937:35-38. On the two-witness rule, p. 15967:33-47: 'Q. Is there a scriptural basis to that? A. ... Absolutely', citing Matthew 18:16; p. 15968:9-13: 'this is only talking about setting up a judicial committee. It doesn't mean to say that Jehovah's Witnesses would feel that someone is totally, a hundred per cent squeaky clean, just because there was only one witness to the crime.' P. 15971:43 to 15972:10: asked whether the scriptural basis is 'so solid or is there not space for your Governing Body to recognise that in cases of sexual abuse it need not apply', he answered 'We believe it does because of the number of times that that principle is emphasised in the scriptures.' On reporting, p. 15966:6-17: a policy requiring a report where others are at risk 'is a possible thing for us to consider'; p. 15967:19-22: 'it would certainly be a lot easier if we had mandatory laws on that'. P. 15988:29-33 (to the Chair): 'I would hope that the conscience of the elders would notify the police if the parent is not willing to do that.'
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, transcript Day 155, Evidence of Geoffrey William Jackson (member of the Governing Body), 14 August 2015
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official transcript URL could not be opened (host unreachable). A full copy was opened and the 'presumptuous' exchange matches the Commission's own quotation in the Case Study 29 report (p. 14, endnote 23); the two-witness passage matches the organisation's submissions' citation. Upgrade to 'verified' once the official PDF is opened.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the DTI transcript (72 pp., pagination 15929 ff.) hosted by jw-verite.org, a discovery-tier site; used only because the official host was unreachable. Wording checked against the Case Study 29 report (p. 14) and the organisation's own submissions, which cite T15967:33-T15968:7.
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Auf die Frage, ob die leitende Körperschaft anerkennen könne, dass die Regel auf sexuellen Missbrauch nicht angewandt werden müsse, sagte er: 'Wir glauben, dass sie gilt, weil dieser Grundsatz in der Schrift so oft betont wird' (S. 15972:9-10), räumte jedoch ein, dass 'auch die Umstände einer der Zeugen sein können' (S. 15972:1-3).
14. August 2015 · pp.15929-16000 · p. 15937 lines 35-47; p. 15966 lines 6-17; p. 15967 lines 19-47 to p. 15968 line 13; p. 15971 line 43 to p. 15972 line 10; p. 15988 lines 24-33 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“Q. And do you see yourselves as Jehovah God's spokespeople on earth? A. That I think would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using.”
P. 15937:35-38. On the two-witness rule, p. 15967:33-47: 'Q. Is there a scriptural basis to that? A. ... Absolutely', citing Matthew 18:16; p. 15968:9-13: 'this is only talking about setting up a judicial committee. It doesn't mean to say that Jehovah's Witnesses would feel that someone is totally, a hundred per cent squeaky clean, just because there was only one witness to the crime.' P. 15971:43 to 15972:10: asked whether the scriptural basis is 'so solid or is there not space for your Governing Body to recognise that in cases of sexual abuse it need not apply', he answered 'We believe it does because of the number of times that that principle is emphasised in the scriptures.' On reporting, p. 15966:6-17: a policy requiring a report where others are at risk 'is a possible thing for us to consider'; p. 15967:19-22: 'it would certainly be a lot easier if we had mandatory laws on that'. P. 15988:29-33 (to the Chair): 'I would hope that the conscience of the elders would notify the police if the parent is not willing to do that.'
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Case Study 29, transcript Day 155, Evidence of Geoffrey William Jackson (member of the Governing Body), 14 August 2015
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official transcript URL could not be opened (host unreachable). A full copy was opened and the 'presumptuous' exchange matches the Commission's own quotation in the Case Study 29 report (p. 14, endnote 23); the two-witness passage matches the organisation's submissions' citation. Upgrade to 'verified' once the official PDF is opened.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the DTI transcript (72 pp., pagination 15929 ff.) hosted by jw-verite.org, a discovery-tier site; used only because the official host was unreachable. Wording checked against the Case Study 29 report (p. 14) and the organisation's own submissions, which cite T15967:33-T15968:7.
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
P. 60. Other key passages: p. 58 (files since 1950 record allegations against 1,006 members; 579 admissions; at least 1,800 alleged victims); p. 59 ('The numbers tell their own story'); p. 61 ('We are satisfied that it is the general 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 to do so by law'); p. 65 (two-witness rule: 'retention of and continued application of the rule to a complaint of child sexual abuse is wrong'); p. 67 (men-only decision-making is 'a fundamental flaw'); p. 69 ('places children within the organisation at significant risk'); p. 70 (BCG 'completely shunned, ostracised and actively avoided'); p. 77 ('We do not consider the Jehovah's Witness organisation to be an organisation which responds adequately to child sexual abuse').
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Report of Case Study No. 29: The response of the Jehovah's Witnesses and Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd to allegations of child sexual abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The official Royal Commission host could not be reached from this environment (TLS renegotiation failure / timeouts), so the NZ-hosted copy of the same Commonwealth publication was downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. Tabled in Parliament 28 November 2016.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the Commonwealth publication (CC BY 3.0 AU) held in the New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library; identical ISBN and pagination to the official release.
Notes.Public hearing 27 July-5 August and 14 August 2015, Sydney. Survivors identified only as BCG and BCB. Also on parlinfo.aph.gov.au as a tabled paper.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Die Ergebnisse werden vollständig wiedergegeben, einschließlich Herabsetzungen und Aufhebungen. Namentlich genannte erwachsene Kläger haben sich entschieden, unter ihrem eigenen Namen zu klagen; Täter werden hier nur dann genannt, wenn ein Urteil eine Verurteilung festhält und der Name nötig ist, um den Fall zu bestimmen.
Im Verfahren Conti v Watchtower sprach eine kalifornische Jury 2012 rund 28 Millionen US-Dollar zu (7 Mio. als Schadensersatz, 21 Mio. als Strafschadensersatz, letzterer vom erstinstanzlichen Richter auf 8,61 Mio. herabgesetzt); 2015 bestätigte das Berufungsgericht die Haftung dafür, dass der Predigtdienst eines bekannten Täters nicht beaufsichtigt worden war, hob den Strafschadensersatz jedoch auf und befand, die Ältesten 'had no duty to depart from Watchtower's policy of confidentiality and warn the members of the Congregation'. Source: California Court of Appeal, First District, Division Three, 13. April 2015
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation machte geltend, und das Berufungsgericht folgte dem, dass sie nicht verpflichtet war, die Versammlung zu warnen; die Feststellung zur Beaufsichtigung akzeptierte sie nicht, doch das Urteil über den Schadensersatz hatte Bestand.
13. April 2015 · Holdings and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“The elders of the Fremont Congregation had no duty to depart from Watchtower's policy of confidentiality and warn the members of the Congregation that Kendrick had molested a child.”
The court reversed the punitive award but held that 'Defendants had a duty to use reasonable care to restrict and supervise Kendrick's field service to prevent him from harming children'. The 2012 Alameda County jury had awarded $7,000,000 compensatory and $21,000,001 punitive damages (about $28m); the trial court reduced the punitive award to $8,610,000. On appeal the compensatory verdict (reported as about $2.8m against the defendants after apportionment) was affirmed and the punitive award reversed with directions to enter judgment for Watchtower on that claim. The opinion describes a 1 July 1989 letter to elders on confidentiality and a 1 August 1995 letter saying 'steps should be taken to protect the child, or other children'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for California Court of Appeal, First District, Division Three, Conti v. Watchtower Bible & Tract Society of New York, Inc., 235 Cal.App.4th 1214 (No. A136641)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Full opinion opened on FindLaw; holdings and figures confirmed. Justia and Leagle copies were blocked or truncated.
Notes.Candace Conti waived anonymity and is the named plaintiff. The abuser (Kendrick) was a congregation member, not an elder.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-cal-2015-0413-conti-v-watchtower
Eine Jury in Montana sprach einer Frau 35 Millionen US-Dollar zu (davon 31 Mio. als Strafschadensersatz), die missbraucht worden war, nachdem Älteste eine frühere Meldung über denselben Mann intern behandelt hatten; im Januar 2020 hob der Oberste Gerichtshof von Montana das Urteil auf und entschied, die Ältesten seien von der Meldepflicht befreit, weil ihre Lehre verlange, die Mitteilungen vertraulich zu behandeln. Source: Montana Supreme Court, 8. Januar 2020
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Organisation machte erfolgreich geltend, ihre Praxis der Vertraulichkeit falle unter die gesetzliche Ausnahme für Geistliche (s. 41-3-201(6)(c) MCA).
8. Januar 2020 · paras 25, 33 · Montana Supreme Court (opinion text via FindLaw)
“A member of the clergy or a priest is not required to make a report under this section if the communication is required to be confidential by canon law, church doctrine, or established church practice.”
Montana Code Annotated s. 41-3-201(6)(c), as quoted. The court held (para 33) that 'undisputed material facts in the summary judgment record demonstrate as a matter of law that Jehovah's Witnesses were not mandatory reporters' because their doctrine required confidentiality, reversing a Sanders County jury verdict of $4 million compensatory and $31 million punitive damages ($35 million) for Alexis Nunez and directing judgment for the defendants. Elders of the Thompson Falls congregation had received reports in 2004 about a member and disfellowshipped, then reinstated, him without informing authorities.
In A v Trustees of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society [2015] EWHC 1722 (QB) hielt der High Court die Organisation und zwei Versammlungen in Loughborough im Wege der Haftung für Hilfspersonen (vicarious liability) für den Missbrauch eines Kindes durch einen Dienstamtgehilfen in den Jahren 1989-1994 verantwortlich sowie dafür, dass Älteste es 1990 versäumt hatten, sie zu schützen, nachdem sie erfahren hatten, dass er ein anderes Kind missbraucht hatte. Source: High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, 19. Juni 2015Source: Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), 2. September 2021
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Beklagten wandten sich sowohl gegen die vicarious liability als auch gegen die Zulässigkeit der Klage wegen Verjährung; Richter Globe befand, ein faires Verfahren sei weiterhin möglich und der Missbrauch sei mit seinen Aufgaben 'inextricably interwoven' gewesen.
19. Juni 2015 · paras 25, 90, 91 ff., final paragraph · Mr Justice Globe · Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (approved judgment)
“he was ostensibly performing his duties as a Jehovah's Witness ministerial servant. I am satisfied that the progressive acts of intimacy were only possible because he had the actual or ostensible status of a ministerial servant that meant no one who saw him questioned his being alone with the claimant. ... In such circumstances, in my judgment, it is fair and just to hold the defendants to be vicariously liable for his acts.”
Para 90. The claimant was abused between about 1989 and 1994 (aged about four to nine) by a ministerial servant in the Loughborough congregations (named in the judgment, which records that he has since died), who was later 'arrested and later convicted of and imprisoned for sexually abusing' two other children (para 25). Globe J also upheld the 'safeguarding claim' that elders who learned in 1990 of his abuse of another child failed to take reasonable steps to protect her, and gave judgment for the claimant with quantum to be agreed. The trial was heard 3-16 February 2015 under an anonymity order.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division, A v The Trustees of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and others [2015] EWHC 1722 (QB) (HQ13X01985)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Approved judgment opened in full (chambers copy) and quoted verbatim; provenance is a barristers' chambers rather than BAILII, so the text is an approved-judgment copy rather than an official law-report transcript.
Herkunft des Scans.Copy of the approved judgment (31 pp., neutral citation and 'Approved Judgment' header) hosted by Outer Temple Chambers, chambers of the claimant's counsel. BAILII was unreachable from this environment.
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
Part H.1 Conclusions, para 25 (p. 113). Part B para 15.4: over 131,700 members in England and Wales; records showed allegations concerning 67 individuals reported to the Branch Office in the previous ten years, including 25 against elders and 32 against ministerial servants. Part D para 19 lists the four core policy documents (2018 public statement; Watchtower May 2019; Shepherd the Flock of God; Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks) and notes that the two documents that explain how to refer matters to statutory authorities 'are not circulated to members of the congregation'. Part E para 6.4: the Service Department 'does not make reports to the statutory authorities'. Part E para 7: Lancashire County Council v E & F [2020] EWHC 182 (Fam) — elders told in 2016, police not informed until July 2019; Lieven J spoke of 'very great concern about the safeguarding of children within the Jehovah's Witness community'. Part F para 17: the Charity Commission's Harvey Grenville called the level of legal challenge 'simply unprecedented'.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation Report
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.
Herkunft des Scans.gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.
Notes.Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report
Eine mehrjährige landesweite Grand-Jury-Untersuchung in Pennsylvania zu Missbrauch in Versammlungen der Zeugen Jehovas führte zwischen Oktober 2022 und Juli 2023 zu Anklagen gegen mindestens vierzehn einzelne Männer; der Generalstaatsanwalt erklärte, die Untersuchung der Organisation selbst dauere an. Pressemitteilungen der Generalstaatsanwaltschaft berichten, dass sich einige Angeklagte seither schuldig bekannt haben oder verurteilt worden sind; diese Mitteilungen konnten während der Recherche nicht geöffnet werden, sodass die einzelnen Verfahrensausgänge hier nicht verifiziert sind. Source: Associated Press (via WESA, Pittsburgh), 20. April 2023Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, 7. Juli 2023
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Sprecher Jarrod Lopes: Die Organisation 'erkennt Missbrauch durchaus als Straftat an', Mitglieder dürfen Anzeige erstatten, und das Erfordernis eines zweiten Zeugen gilt nur für interne Maßnahmen der Zucht.
20. April 2023 · Mark Scolforo and Peter Smith · Associated Press
“does recognize abuse as a crime”
Organisation spokesman Jarrod Lopes' response, adding that members may report to authorities, that the second-witness requirement applies only to internal discipline and that elders comply with reporting laws regardless of witness availability. The AP reported nine men charged between October 2022 and February 2023 after a four-year grand jury investigation, with the Attorney General saying the investigation of the organisation itself was ongoing.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for Associated Press (via WESA, Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania charges put focus on Jehovah's Witnesses' handling of abuse
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Syndicated copy opened (wesa.fm redirected to wesanews.org).
Notes.Official PA Office of Attorney General releases (e.g. Westmoreland County, Allegheny County, Butler County case updates) could not be opened (HTTP 403); their existence is confirmed by search listings only. Archive reference removed: https://apnews.com (blocked in this environment; original AP URL not recorded)
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-ap-2023-0420-wesa-pa-charges
7. Juli 2023 · Rodrigo Torrejón and David Gambacorta · The Philadelphia Inquirer
“The charges follow a statewide grand jury investigation; the defendants were charged in five separate counties.”
Report of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s announcement of charges arising from a statewide grand jury investigation. Charges are allegations; none of the defendants had been tried when the announcement was made, and each is presumed innocent unless convicted.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Pa. attorney general charges five Jehovah's Witnesses with rape, sexual abuse of children
Notes.Charges are allegations until conviction; later press releases report convictions and sentences of individual defendants (not opened: attorneygeneral.gov returned 403).
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-inquirer-2023-0707-pa-charges
Der Attorney General von Delaware verklagte die Versammlung Laurel und zwei ihrer Ältesten mit der Behauptung, sie hätten eine sexuelle Beziehung zwischen einer erwachsenen Frau und einem 14-jährigen Mitglied nicht gemeldet; der Superior Court lehnte es ab, die Klage aufgrund des von den Ältesten geltend gemachten Zeugnisverweigerungsrechts ‘priest and penitent’ abzuweisen, und Berichten zufolge wurde der Fall 2018 verglichen, ohne dass eine Feststellung gegen sie getroffen wurde. Source: State of Delaware v. Laurel Delaware Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and two elders (C.A. No. N14C-05-122 MMJ), 26. Januar 2016
Die Position der Organisation oder ihre spätere Erklärung: Die Ältesten machten geltend, das Meldegesetz von Delaware nehme Mitteilungen 'between priest and penitent in a sacramental confession' aus.
26. Januar 2016 · Judge Mary M. Johnston · Delaware Superior Court (listed on Justia)
“between priest and penitent in a sacramental confession”
The wording of Delaware's reporting-law exemption (16 Del. C. s. 909) on which the elders relied. The State alleged two elders learned in January 2013 of a sexual relationship between an adult woman and a 14-year-old congregant and did not call the child-abuse report line. The court denied the defendants' motion for summary judgment (AP, 4 February 2016), leaving factual issues for trial. The case was reported to have settled in January 2018; the settlement terms have not been verified from a court record and are not published here.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for State of Delaware v. Laurel Delaware Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses and two elders (C.A. No. N14C-05-122 MMJ), State of Delaware v. Laurel Delaware Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses, Joel Mulchansingh and William Perkins (C.A. No. N14C-05-122 MMJ)
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.The opinion could not be opened (Justia blocks automated fetches); the filing, the privilege argument and the January 2016 ruling are confirmed by two AP reports (Fox News 4 Feb 2016; NBC10 Philadelphia 7 Sept 2017) that were opened. The settlement terms are unverified.
Notes.The full case caption, which names the two elders, is recorded in the court record; this site cites the case by its short form.
Abgerufen. 19. September 2026 · Quellenkennung.src-de-2016-0126-state-v-laurel-congregation
If an accusation is denied and there is no second witness, ‘nothing more can be done in a judicial way’
The Watchtower instructs that the congregation ‘will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person’ where the accusation is denied and unsupported by a second witness. Source: The Watchtower, 1. November 1995
Belege öffnen If an accusation is denied and there is no second witness, ‘nothing more can be done in a judicial way’
1. November 1995 · pp.25-29 · section 'Repressed Memories', par. beginning 'If the accusation is denied' · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)”
‘A man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position’
The Watchtower states the congregation ‘will not protect him’ from state sanctions; the article does not instruct reporting. In March 1997 headquarters wrote to all bodies of elders asking about members ‘known to have been guilty of child molestation’, a letter later the subject of US discovery orders. Source: The Watchtower, 1. Januar 1997Source: Letter to All Bodies of Elders, 14. März 1997
Belege öffnen ‘A man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position’
1. Januar 1997 · pp.26-29 · pars. on p. 29 (child molesters) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.”
2010 · pp.131-132 · pars. 18-19 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for each individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.”
13. April 2015 · Holdings and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“The elders of the Fremont Congregation had no duty to depart from Watchtower's policy of confidentiality and warn the members of the Congregation that Kendrick had molested a child.”
“The Commission's concerns have been amplified by recent criminal cases concerning historic incidents of abuse involving individuals who appear to have been connected to Jehovah's Witnesses congregations.”
19. Juni 2015 · paras 25, 90, 91 ff., final paragraph · Mr Justice Globe · Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (approved judgment)
“he was ostensibly performing his duties as a Jehovah's Witness ministerial servant. I am satisfied that the progressive acts of intimacy were only possible because he had the actual or ostensible status of a ministerial servant that meant no one who saw him questioned his being alone with the claimant. ... In such circumstances, in my judgment, it is fair and just to hold the defendants to be vicariously liable for his acts.”
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
14. August 2015 · pp.15929-16000 · p. 15937 lines 35-47; p. 15966 lines 6-17; p. 15967 lines 19-47 to p. 15968 line 13; p. 15971 line 43 to p. 15972 line 10; p. 15988 lines 24-33 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“Q. And do you see yourselves as Jehovah God's spokespeople on earth? A. That I think would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using.”
9. November 2015 · pp.1-141 · pars. 5.17-5.18, 9.12-9.19, 9.210-9.216, 9.355-9.359 · Counsel for Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd and the elder witnesses · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth of Australia)
“Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements found in the Mosaic Law and reiterated by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. Even when the requisite Scriptural evidence is lacking, elders nevertheless take precautionary measures.”
Report of Case Study 29: ‘We do not believe that children are adequately protected’
Findings: no evidence of any of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators having been reported by the organisation; a general practice of not reporting unless required by law; the two-witness rule’s application to child sexual abuse ‘is wrong’; men-only decision-making ‘a fundamental flaw’. Source: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, Oktober 2016
Belege öffnen Report of Case Study 29: ‘We do not believe that children are adequately protected’
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
10. März 2017 · pp.26486-26574 · pp. 26491-26493, 26500, 26505, 26513, 26524-26525, 26530, 26543 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“THE CHAIR: Yes. But if there are not two witnesses, you don't accept it, do you? MR O'BRIEN: Because scripturally we're not able to.”
“As our report makes clear, the victims of abuse were badly let down by the charity. The trustees should have made the victims' welfare their first priority.”
Royal Commission Final Report: recommendations to abandon the two-witness rule for child sexual abuse, involve women, and stop shunning survivors who leave
Belege öffnen Royal Commission Final Report: recommendations to abandon the two-witness rule for child sexual abuse, involve women, and stop shunning survivors who leave
15. Dezember 2017 · Recommendations 16.27, 16.28, 16.29 · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse · Commonwealth of Australia
“abandon its application of the two witness rule in cases involving complaints of child sexual abuse”
The Watchtower: two witnesses are not required before an allegation can be reported
‘This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.’ ‘The absence of a second witness does not mean that the one making the accusation is untruthful.’ Source: The Watchtower (study edition), Mai 2019
Belege öffnen The Watchtower: two witnesses are not required before an allegation can be reported
Mai 2019 · pp.8-13 · pars. 13-18 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.”
Montana Supreme Court reverses a $35 million verdict
The 2018 Nunez verdict is reversed because Montana’s reporting law exempts clergy whose doctrine requires confidentiality; the reversal is not a finding that the abuse was handled properly. Source: Montana Supreme Court, 8. Januar 2020
Belege öffnen Montana Supreme Court reverses a $35 million verdict
8. Januar 2020 · paras 25, 33 · Montana Supreme Court (opinion text via FindLaw)
“A member of the clergy or a priest is not required to make a report under this section if the communication is required to be confidential by canon law, church doctrine, or established church practice.”
23. Januar 2020 · Section 4 'De beslissing', 4.1-4.2 · mr. R.A. Steenbergen (voorzieningenrechter) · Raad voor de Rechtspraak (open data)
“Juridisch gezien ligt de drempel voor een publicatieverbod hoog. Het belang dat met het rapport gediend wordt, weegt zwaarder dan de bezwaren van de Jehovah's Getuigen, ook omdat die bezwaren voor een belangrijk deel onjuist zijn.”
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”
1. Dezember 2021 · pp.1-10 · pars. 1, 5, 6, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (World Headquarters Legal Department); produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000013)
“If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.”
Der Band des Abschlussberichts der Royal Commission, der die Empfehlungen 16.27 bis 16.29 enthält, ließ sich während der Recherche nicht von der Website der Kommission herunterladen; der Wortlaut der Empfehlungen ist deshalb als ‚belegt‘ und nicht als geprüft gekennzeichnet. Die amtlichen Verhandlungsprotokolle und die schriftliche Erklärung eines Mitglieds der leitenden Körperschaft wurden in vollständigen Kopien gelesen und mit den Quellenangaben des Berichts selbst abgeglichen. Die Briefe an die Ältesten von 1997, 2012 und 2016 werden ausschließlich über Untersuchungs- und Gerichtsakten zitiert, nie aus durchgesickerten Kopien. Berichtete Vergleichsbedingungen aus Delaware, die Angaben zu Belgien und Spanien, die Feststellungen der neuseeländischen Fallstudie und die Namen der Beklagten in Pennsylvania werden nicht verwendet.
Hilfsangebote nach Ländern
Wenn Sie ein Kind oder ein junger Mensch sind, dem Leid zugefügt wird, oder ein Erwachsener, der sich um ein Kind sorgt: Diese Angebote sind vertraulich und von jeder Religionsgemeinschaft unabhängig. Geprüft am 19. September 2026; wo die Website einer Organisation automatische Abfragen blockiert, wurde die Nummer anhand amtlicher Verzeichnisse bestätigt.
1. November 1995 · pp.25-29 · section 'Repressed Memories', par. beginning 'If the accusation is denied' · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)”
1. Januar 1997 · pp.26-29 · pars. on p. 29 (child molesters) · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
“For the protection of our children, a man known to have been a child molester does not qualify for a responsible position in the congregation. Moreover, he cannot be a pioneer or serve in any other special, full-time service.”
2010 · pp.131-132 · pars. 18-19 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Child abuse is a crime. Never suggest to anyone that they should not report an allegation of child abuse to the police or other authorities. If you are asked, make it clear that whether to report the matter to the authorities or not is a personal decision for each individual to make and that there are no congregation sanctions for either decision.”
“The Commission's concerns have been amplified by recent criminal cases concerning historic incidents of abuse involving individuals who appear to have been connected to Jehovah's Witnesses congregations.”
13. April 2015 · Holdings and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“The elders of the Fremont Congregation had no duty to depart from Watchtower's policy of confidentiality and warn the members of the Congregation that Kendrick had molested a child.”
19. Juni 2015 · paras 25, 90, 91 ff., final paragraph · Mr Justice Globe · Courts and Tribunals Judiciary (approved judgment)
“he was ostensibly performing his duties as a Jehovah's Witness ministerial servant. I am satisfied that the progressive acts of intimacy were only possible because he had the actual or ostensible status of a ministerial servant that meant no one who saw him questioned his being alone with the claimant. ... In such circumstances, in my judgment, it is fair and just to hold the defendants to be vicariously liable for his acts.”
14. August 2015 · pp.15929-16000 · p. 15937 lines 35-47; p. 15966 lines 6-17; p. 15967 lines 19-47 to p. 15968 line 13; p. 15971 line 43 to p. 15972 line 10; p. 15988 lines 24-33 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“Q. And do you see yourselves as Jehovah God's spokespeople on earth? A. That I think would seem to be quite presumptuous to say that we are the only spokesperson that God is using.”
9. November 2015 · pp.1-141 · pars. 5.17-5.18, 9.12-9.19, 9.210-9.216, 9.355-9.359 · Counsel for Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Australia Ltd and the elder witnesses · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (Commonwealth of Australia)
“Jehovah's Witnesses consider that the requirement for two witnesses is not a matter for debate as it is based on Scriptural requirements found in the Mosaic Law and reiterated by Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul. Even when the requisite Scriptural evidence is lacking, elders nevertheless take precautionary measures.”
Oktober 2016 · pp.1-110 (ISBN 978-1-925289-89-3) · pp. 10-12, 14, 24-25, 58-70, 75-78 · The Hon. Justice Peter McClellan AM (Chair); Professor Helen Milroy (Commissioner) · Commonwealth of Australia
“Although the position is not clear in relation to a few files, there is otherwise no evidence before the Royal Commission of the Jehovah's Witness organisation having reported to police or other secular authority a single one of the 1,006 alleged perpetrators of child sexual abuse recorded in the case files held by Watchtower Australia.”
10. März 2017 · pp.26486-26574 · pp. 26491-26493, 26500, 26505, 26513, 26524-26525, 26530, 26543 · Transcript produced by DTI · Commonwealth of Australia
“THE CHAIR: Yes. But if there are not two witnesses, you don't accept it, do you? MR O'BRIEN: Because scripturally we're not able to.”
“As our report makes clear, the victims of abuse were badly let down by the charity. The trustees should have made the victims' welfare their first priority.”
9. November 2017 · Holding and disposition · California Courts (opinion text via FindLaw)
“$2,000 per day for every day Watchtower did not produce responsive documents and $2,000 per day for every day Watchtower did not search for responsive documents”
15. Dezember 2017 · Recommendations 16.27, 16.28, 16.29 · Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse · Commonwealth of Australia
“abandon its application of the two witness rule in cases involving complaints of child sexual abuse”
Mai 2019 · pp.8-13 · pars. 13-18 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Does this mean that before an allegation of abuse can be reported to the authorities, two witnesses are required? No. This requirement does not apply to whether elders or others report allegations of a crime.”
8. Januar 2020 · paras 25, 33 · Montana Supreme Court (opinion text via FindLaw)
“A member of the clergy or a priest is not required to make a report under this section if the communication is required to be confidential by canon law, church doctrine, or established church practice.”
23. Januar 2020 · Section 4 'De beslissing', 4.1-4.2 · mr. R.A. Steenbergen (voorzieningenrechter) · Raad voor de Rechtspraak (open data)
“Juridisch gezien ligt de drempel voor een publicatieverbod hoog. Het belang dat met het rapport gediend wordt, weegt zwaarder dan de bezwaren van de Jehovah's Getuigen, ook omdat die bezwaren voor een belangrijk deel onjuist zijn.”
Dezember 2020 · pp.1-3 · pars. 3-5, 9-12 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced to the NZ Royal Commission by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000010)
“When elders learn of an accusation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses to ensure compliance with child abuse reporting laws. (Romans 13:1) Even if the elders have no legal duty to report an accusation to the authorities, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if a minor is still in danger of abuse or there is some other valid reason.”
April 2021 · ch. 12 par. 40(2); ch. 14 pars. 4, 6, 7 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania; produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) in response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1 (doc ID JHV0000012)
“Eyewitnesses: There must be two or three eyewitnesses, not just people repeating hearsay; no action can be taken if there is only one witness. (Deut. 19:15-17; John 8:17; 1 Tim. 5:19, 24, 25) If there are two or three witnesses to the same kind of wrongdoing but each one is witness to a separate incident, the elders can consider their testimony.”
2. September 2021 · pp.Part B para 15.4 (p. 15); Part D paras 19-21 (pp. 42-43); Part E paras 6.3-7 (pp. 65-66); Part F para 17 (pp. 91-92); Part H para 25 (p. 113) · Part H.1 para 25 · Professor Alexis Jay OBE (Chair) and Panel · Crown copyright (HC 705)
“The rule is not intended to be a safeguarding measure. Nevertheless, it has no place in any response to child sexual abuse and fails to reflect the reality that by its very nature child sexual abuse is most often perpetrated in the absence of witnesses. ... As it presently operates, the Jehovah's Witnesses internal disciplinary process for disfellowshipping members bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens. The continuing use of this rule shows a disregard of the seriousness of the crimes involved and their impact on individuals. It also lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator.”
1. Dezember 2021 · pp.1-10 · pars. 1, 5, 6, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (World Headquarters Legal Department); produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000013)
“If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.”
April 2022 · ch. 14 par. 6 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Child abuse is a crime. In some jurisdictions, individuals who learn of an allegation of child abuse may be obligated by law to report the allegation to the secular authorities.”
September 2025 · pp.1-2 · pars. 3-5, 11-15 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (jw.org)
“Elders comply with child abuse reporting laws. When elders learn of an allegation of child abuse, they immediately consult with the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses for legal advice on proper reporting procedure and for the protection of children. (Romans 13:1) Even in jurisdictions with no reporting requirements, the branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses will instruct the elders to report the matter if the victim or another minor is in danger of abuse.”