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”

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”

10 March 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'.

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