JWTruth.orgDocumented comparison resource
Search

Child safeguarding · Claim record

IICSA concluded that the two-witness rule 'has no place in any response to child sexual abuse', that the internal disfellowshipping process 'bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens', and that continuing to use the rule 'lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator'.

Claim ID claim-safeguarding-iicsa-two-witness-no-placeConcerns 2 September 2021Independent finding
Independent finding · 2 September 2021 Verified

IICSA concluded that the two-witness rule 'has no place in any response to child sexual abuse', that the internal disfellowshipping process 'bears no relationship to how sexual crime happens', and that continuing to use the rule 'lacks compassion for the victim, and serves to protect the perpetrator'. Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), 2 September 2021Charity Commission for England and Wales, 4 August 2023

The organisation’s position or later explanation: Paul Gillies (Office of Public Information) told IICSA the internal process 'is solely to determine whether the accused should remain one of Jehovah's Witnesses. It is exclusively an ecclesiastical process' (Part E para 6.5).

Show the evidence (2 sources)
Official public record Verified

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), “Child protection in religious organisations and settings: Investigation 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'.

Official source Scan of original

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. gov.uk PDF downloaded and text-extracted; all quotations verbatim with printed page numbers. iicsa.org.uk HTML pages returned 403 to automated fetch.

Scan provenance. gov.uk copy of the report (224-page PDF). Printed page numbers are 14 lower than PDF page numbers.

Corroborated by. src-cc-2023-0804-watch-tower-inquiry-report

Notes. Published 2 September 2021 after 16 hearing days in 2020. IICSA made two recommendations (policy/training; unregistered educational settings); neither is JW-specific.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report

Official public record Verified

Charity Commission for England and Wales, “Charity Inquiry: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain”

4 August 2023 · Background; Findings; Conclusions · Charity Commission (gov.uk)

“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'.

Official source Archived or alternative copy

Provenance and verification note

Confidence note. gov.uk report page opened; quotations confirmed. Page marked as withdrawn 4 August 2025 (archived).

Corroborated by. src-cc-2023-0804-press-release-watch-tower, src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report

Notes. The report reproduces IICSA's two-witness-rule finding. The Commission opened a compliance case with the Kingdom Hall Trust.

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-cc-2023-0804-watch-tower-inquiry-report

Claim page

A direct link to this claim is https://jwtruth.org/evidence/claim-safeguarding-iicsa-two-witness-no-place/. Every source above opens the original document or the best available copy. If you believe the wording, date or context is wrong, report an error.