In the Netherlands: Jehovah's witnesses a "paradise for pedophiles" - report

[Palinurus]

Source: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/21/jehovahs-witnesses-paradise-pedophiles-report

Jehovah's witnesses a "paradise for pedophiles": report

By Janene Pieters on July 21, 2017 - 14:50

Children of Jehovah's Witnesses are easy targets for pedophiles, newspaper Trouw reports [in Dutch] after speaking to victims, members and ex-members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. One victim called the Christian society a "paradise for pedophiles".

The victims Trouw spoke to were abused in the 80s and 90s. But according to the victims and others involved, abuse is still happening. The Netherlands counts about 30 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Jehovah's Witnesses in the Netherlands follow the international guidelines of the organization. Their own legal system is above that of international authorities. In the organization, male elders are the judges. According to Trouw, for a conviction in the society, at least two witnesses are needed. This creates a problem as in many child sexual abuse cases, the only witnesses are the victim and the perpetrator. And perpetrators don't tend to testify against themselves.

Perpetrators also are not forced to leave the community, unless he or she shows no regret. Other members are not told about the abuse, because talking about such a case without a conviction is seen as slander.

Turning to the police almost never happens, despite the the guidelines for elders stating that a victim can never be kept from going to the police, according to the newspaper. That guideline is followed by a reference to the bible verse Galatians 6:5, which states: "For every man has to bear his own burden". In practice, victims and those involved are advised and sometimes forbidden to go to the police, several victims and ex-members said to the newspaper.

The organization did not want to discuss specific abuse cases. In general the Jehovah's Witnesses want to make sexuality a discussable topic "without the veil of mystery" and want to make their children resilient, according to the newspaper. A spokesperson also said that the organization continually reviews its own procedures.

 

[Siberia]

Here is the news dated April this year by Russia Today:

Jehovah’s Witnesses banned as ‘extremist’ in Russia, property to be seized – court decision
Published time: 21 Apr, 2017

Russia’s Supreme Court has banned the Jehovah’s Witnesses, declaring it an “extremist organization” and ordering to hand over its property to the state. The Christian group says it is planning to appeal the decision.

Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Judge Yury Ivanenko ruled that all 395 branches of the religious group on Russian territory are subject to disbandment and the property is to be forfeited to the state.

In the run-up to the ruling on its liquidation, based on a lawsuit filed by the Russian Justice Ministry, the Jehovah’s Witnesses group has repeatedly found itself in trouble with Russia’s anti-extremism legislation. In October last year, a lower court notified the organization of a looming ban if it did not stop engaging in what it considered extremist activity. In January this year, the warning was upheld by the Moscow City Court.

Jehovah's Witnesses leaflets promoting information “posing a threat to health” were provided as evidence by the Ministry of Justice during the hearings, Svetlana Borisova, the ministry’s representative said, as cited by RIA Novosti. More than 90 printed booklets of the organization have been found to contain extremist materials.

One of Jehovah’s Witnesses strict beliefs – a complete ban on blood transfusions – can potentially endanger the life of a child, argued Borisova. She cited a case when devout followers of the group refused to give consent for the procedure needed by their child.

The present lawsuit was revolving around Jehovah’s Witnesses’ chief managing organization in Russia, based in St. Petersburg, which is in charge of all its outfits scattered on the Russian territory.

In March, Justice Ministry already suspended the center’s activity pending the final decision by the Supreme Court.

Next week, the Moscow City Court will examine the legality of the March suspension. The hearing is scheduled on April 24.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, however, deny all the extremism-related accusations, stating that the extremism in question was found in Biblical quotes and alleging that some of the illegal materials were fake evidence planted in their offices.

The group has announced it will contest the ruling in the appellate division of the Russian Supreme Court and is also prepared to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, if necessary.

“We are greatly disappointed by this development and deeply concerned about how this will affect our religious activity,” Yaroslav Sivulsky, a spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia, told Reuters.

On its website, the organization claimed that the nationwide ban on its activity could lead “to grim consequences to the adherents of different denominations as well as for Russia’s international image.”

If the Supreme Court’s decision is upheld by the three-judge appellate panel, Jehovah's Witnesses may face from two up to six years in jail if they defy the court ruling and continue operating in Russia.

And here is the latest news dated July 17 (four days ago) by BBC:

_http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40635267

Russia Jehovah's Witnesses banned after they lose appeal
17 July 2017

The ban came into effect after the court rejected an appeal by the religious group against a ruling in April which declared it to be extremist.

The justice ministry had argued that the group distributed pamphlets which incited hatred against other groups.

The group described the ruling as the end of religious freedom in Russia.

The denomination says it has 175,000 members in Russia - a country where it was persecuted during the Stalin era.

An estimated eight million people worldwide are part of the Christian-based movement, best known for going door-to-door looking for new converts.

The ruling means that the group's headquarters near St Petersburg and 395 local chapters will close.

It will be required to hand over all its properties, known as Kingdom Halls, to the Russian government.

The group's Russia spokesman, Yaroslav Sivulsky, said that "religious freedom in Russia is over".

"There were no real facts of any extremism on part of Jehovah's Witnesses. It's all about bad literature and intolerance. Now anyone who studies the Bible can be jailed," he said, quoted by Newsweek magazine.

One pamphlet distributed by the group quoted the novelist Leo Tolstoy as describing the doctrine of the Russian Orthodox Church as superstition and sorcery.

Officials have accused the religion of destroying families, propagating hatred and endangering lives. The Church had also joined calls for a ban.

The Jehovah's Witnesses group was founded in the United States in the 19th century.

They take most of the Bible literally and refuse blood transfusions. They are not seen by traditional Christian Churches as a mainstream denomination.

During Joseph Stalin's reign of terror in the Soviet Union it was outlawed and thousands of members were deported to Siberia. Other Christian groups were also persecuted.

As the Soviet Union collapsed, there was a revival of Christianity in Russia and the ban on Jehovah's Witnesses was lifted in 1991.

But attitudes hardened again and in 2004 it was accused of recruiting children and preventing believers from accepting medical assistance.

Human rights group Sova has argued that an "official repressive campaign" has been conducted against the movement for years and many of their members have been physically attacked.

The Jehovah's Witnesses are expected to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, but Russia may well ignore any verdict in their favour.

 

[Palinurus]

Thank you Siberia for these reminders. I was aware of the first one, but hadn't read the second one before now.

The Dutch case is a consequence of in depth investigative reporting by some Trouw newspaper journalists who also spoke with victims, and seems a stand alone affair (so far at least).

 

[angelburst29]

Source: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/21/jehovahs-witnesses-paradise-pedophiles-report

Jehovah's witnesses a "paradise for pedophiles": report

By Janene Pieters on July 21, 2017 - 14:50

Children of Jehovah's Witnesses are easy targets for pedophiles, newspaper Trouw reports [in Dutch] after speaking to victims, members and ex-members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. One victim called the Christian society a "paradise for pedophiles".

The victims Trouw spoke to were abused in the 80s and 90s. But according to the victims and others involved, abuse is still happening. The Netherlands counts about 30 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Jehovah's Witnesses in the Netherlands follow the international guidelines of the organization. Their own legal system is above that of international authorities. In the organization, male elders are the judges. According to Trouw, for a conviction in the society, at least two witnesses are needed. This creates a problem as in many child sexual abuse cases, the only witnesses are the victim and the perpetrator. And perpetrators don't tend to testify against themselves.

Perpetrators also are not forced to leave the community, unless he or she shows no regret. Other members are not told about the abuse, because talking about such a case without a conviction is seen as slander.

Turning to the police almost never happens, despite the guidelines for elders stating that a victim can never be kept from going to the police, according to the newspaper. That guideline is followed by a reference to the bible verse Galatians 6:5, which states: "For every man has to bear his own burden". In practice, victims and those involved are advised and sometimes forbidden to go to the police, several victims and ex-members said to the newspaper.

The organization did not want to discuss specific abuse cases. In general the Jehovah's Witnesses want to make sexuality a discussable topic "without the veil of mystery" and want to make their children resilient, according to the newspaper. A spokesperson also said that the organization continually reviews its own procedures.

I give the Netherlands credit for publishing this information on child sexual abuse within the Jehovah Witness organization. In the past, in the U.S., there have been reported "hint's" about possible abuse within it's ranks but then it would be quickly covered up.

Like Siberia has stated, Russia has recently ban the organization. What I found surprising was an article claiming OSCE was "deeply concerned by this unwarranted criminalization of the peaceful activities of members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses communities in Russia"? Why would the OSCE defend the Jehovah Witness organization? Even OSCE is a questionable organization, if you follow event's in Ukraine closely?

I hope the Netherland's also takes the legal means to ban the Jehovah's organization.

OSCE Concerned Over Ban of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia
https://sputniknews.com/world/201704251052993040-osce-jehovah-ban/

Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Michael Georg Link expressed concern on Tuesday over the Russian Supreme Court's decision to ban the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist organization.

"I’m deeply concerned by this unwarranted criminalization of the peaceful activities of members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses communities in Russia, eliminating this community as a viable entity in the country. This Supreme Court decision poses a threat to the values and principles that democratic, free, open, pluralistic and tolerant societies rest upon," Link said, as quoted in the ODIHR statement.

He urged the Russian authorities to ensure that the rights to freedom of religion or belief, freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association of individuals belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses community are upheld.

On Thursday, Russia's Supreme Court ruled that the activities of the Administrative Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia were extremist and banned them. Judge Yury Ivanenko said the court also ruled to seize the center's property.

 

[cope]

On this one i find myself siding with the jehovas, never thought that would happen.
I can imagenate having trouble with blood transfusions, but can't they find a way around it? Like artificial plasma? Parents donating? And nobody can claim that the mainstream allopathic religion is without problems, or even scientifically based : "The European Commission estimates that adverse reactions from prescription drugs cause 200,000 deaths (p/y)". Not that strange to 'have trust in god', and pray together for the sick. In society, you must trust the law, your representatives, the news, your leaders, doctors, antismokers, whatever, lie yourself in, or be dropped out.
The main strength of being a "cult", the communality, turns into big problems when somebody does not fit totally. To have elders deciding things is an ancient way of organizing, Maya's still use that.
Problem for the russian lawmakers is the foreign leaderships unknown influence. But, same problem with catholics.

When i was younger, the 80/90s, i noticed that the patriarchical authoritarians would flock to jehova witnesses, to be able to play out being the master of their families. Now-a-days those authoritarians become salafists..
And then they came for the Jehovas..

 

[Laura]

On this one i find myself siding with the jehovas, never thought that would happen.
I can imagenate having trouble with blood transfusions, but can't they find a way around it? Like artificial plasma? Parents donating? And nobody can claim that the mainstream allopathic religion is without problems, or even scientifically based : "The European Commission estimates that adverse reactions from prescription drugs cause 200,000 deaths (p/y)". Not that strange to 'have trust in god', and pray together for the sick. In society, you must trust the law, your representatives, the news, your leaders, doctors, antismokers, whatever, lie yourself in, or be dropped out.
The main strength of being a "cult", the communality, turns into big problems when somebody does not fit totally. To have elders deciding things is an ancient way of organizing, Maya's still use that.
Problem for the russian lawmakers is the foreign leaderships unknown influence. But, same problem with catholics.

When i was younger, the 80/90s, i noticed that the patriarchical authoritarians would flock to jehova witnesses, to be able to play out being the master of their families. Now-a-days those authoritarians become salafists..
And then they came for the Jehovas..

Pretty much agree. I mean, where do you draw the line and who makes the rules about what is okay and how far can either side go?

I don't see their issue with transfusions: that is taking the Bible way too literally. But, as cope pointed out, what about prescription drugs being forced on people or harmful vaccines? How to navigate this thorny issue? Banning the JWs and stealing their stuff doesn't seem to be the right approach. Perhaps seeking a compromise with them and thereby inducing them to educate themselves would be better?

 

[cope]

Source: http://nltimes.nl/2017/07/21/jehovahs-witnesses-paradise-pedophiles-report

Jehovah's witnesses a "paradise for pedophiles": report

By Janene Pieters on July 21, 2017 - 14:50

Children of Jehovah's Witnesses are easy targets for pedophiles, newspaper Trouw reports [in Dutch] after speaking to victims, members and ex-members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. One victim called the Christian society a "paradise for pedophiles".

The victims Trouw spoke to were abused in the 80s and 90s. But according to the victims and others involved, abuse is still happening. The Netherlands counts about 30 thousand Jehovah's Witnesses.

The Jehovah's Witnesses in the Netherlands follow the international guidelines of the organization. Their own legal system is above that of international authorities. In the organization, male elders are the judges. According to Trouw, for a conviction in the society, at least two witnesses are needed. This creates a problem as in many child sexual abuse cases, the only witnesses are the victim and the perpetrator. And perpetrators don't tend to testify against themselves.

Perpetrators also are not forced to leave the community, unless he or she shows no regret. Other members are not told about the abuse, because talking about such a case without a conviction is seen as slander.

Turning to the police almost never happens, despite the the guidelines for elders stating that a victim can never be kept from going to the police, according to the newspaper. That guideline is followed by a reference to the bible verse Galatians 6:5, which states: "For every man has to bear his own burden". In practice, victims and those involved are advised and sometimes forbidden to go to the police, several victims and ex-members said to the newspaper.

The organization did not want to discuss specific abuse cases. In general the Jehovah's Witnesses want to make sexuality a discussable topic "without the veil of mystery" and want to make their children resilient, according to the newspaper. A spokesperson also said that the organization continually reviews its own procedures.

As reaction on your original point, Palinurus:
Is there any proof that Jehova's have at this moment more problems with child abuse than other groups?
Is the distance from justice' apparatus the main problem?
Does 'justice', ie revenge through system solve more than a heavy discussion within the cult?

 

[Palinurus]

As reaction on your original point, Palinurus:
Is there any proof that Jehova's have at this moment more problems with child abuse than other groups?

In the latest article [in Dutch] from the Trouw series I found this remark:

Marianne de Voogd: “Ik ben niet het enige slachtoffer: ik heb het zo vaak gehoord dat ik denk dat het percentage misbruikte kinderen hoger ligt dan in de katholieke kerk.”

which translates as:

Marianne de Voogd: "I'm not the only victim: I have heard it so often that I think the percentage of abused children is higher than in the Catholic Church."

Is the distance from justice' apparatus the main problem?

Main problem IMO would be adequate care for the victims and diligent persecution of the perpetrators. Neither of which are guaranteed in the current set-up of internal reprimanding.
The just cited latest article goes into detail about that, as do the other previous parts of the Trouw series.

Does 'justice', ie revenge through system solve more than a heavy discussion within the cult?

These are not mutually exclusive IMO.
Nevertheless, in the current situation the investigative reporting revealed that "a heavy discussion within the cult" usually wasn't concluded satisfactorily for the victims who now dared to speak out publicly for the first time.

 

[Palinurus]

A quick google search for more information yielded the following among others (there is more):

_https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/6241179127513088/huge-article-dutch-media-on-jw-child-abuse
_https://www.openmindsfoundation.org/category/manipulative-groups/religious-cults/christian/jehovahs-witnesses/
_http://watchtowerdocuments.org/arcs-mcclellan-jehovahs-witness-child-abuse-policies-must-change/
_https://www.watchtowerlies.com/how_do_jehovah_s_witnesses_deal_with_pedophilia_cases.html
_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses%27_handling_of_child_sex_abuse

 

[cope]

Thank you for the link, 5 articles, very interesting stuff. The "steering body" in the U.S. writes the book the elders use to judge, and the sub-steering-body in Brussels tells the local elders what to think. Big problem here..
Methinks if the local JW want to survive, they should get rid of both.
The criticism that a local elder can be judging, while being a plummer, does not impress me somuch.
Dutch HQ of JW says they are working on making children defensible and making sexuality a point of conversation.
A "coach for people from forcing religious groupcultures" claims that like this, the cult can stay unaffected, while the children should be protected, instead of made stronger.
In dutch:Ze zegt te werken aan het ‘weerbaar’ maken van kinderen en gezinnen en het bespreken van seksualiteit zonder ‘sluier van geheimzinnigheid’. En: ‘De bescherming van onze kinderen wordt uitermate serieus genomen’.Die reactie is tekenend voor de wijze waarop de organisatie probeert buiten schot te blijven, zegt Frances Peters, ex-Getuige en coach voor mensen uit dwingende religieuze groepsculturen. “Ze zeggen: de kinderen moeten weerbaarder worden, terwijl zij ze juist zouden moeten beschermen.”
Oh there we go again, a self proclaimed cultbuster..
I would choose to make my children resilient, that works somewhat everywhere, at school, at gym etc.
And i find this subject interesting, while i live in a community or even tribe, which may be the way of the future.

ouch, i see you have posted.. It does take me quite some time to write, i will.

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Nearly 300 reports of sexual abuse among Dutch Jehovah's Witnesses

Nearly 300 reports of sexual abuse among Dutch Jehovah's Witnesses

By Janene Pieters on May 2, 2018 - 09:15

The number of reports of sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses now stands at 267, Reclaimed Voices, a foundation that manages the hotline for this type of abuse, said to newspaper Trouw (Dutch only).

Reclaimed Voices was established last year after Trouw published the stories of a number of Jehovah's Witnesses who were abused during their youth. One victim called the religious group a "paradise for pedophiles", because the Jehovah's Witnesses elders tend to keep sexual abuse quiet. In the first week of its existence, the hotline received nearly 50 sexual abuse reports.

According to the newspaper, the victims of sexual abuse asked the Jehovah's Witnesses elders for a meeting to discuss this abuse six months ago, but still haven't heard anything. This has a big affect on the victims, Frank Huiting of Reclaimed Voices said to Trouw. "They are angry, they haven't known where they stand for some time and feel disappointed about the entire process. They still aren't being heard, is what it comes down to."

Minister Sander Dekker for Legal Protection also instructed the leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses to start a conversation with the victims.

Similar coverage here: Jehovah's Witnesses under fire for not talking as sexual abuse claims rise - DutchNews.nl

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Jehovah's Witnesses reject calls for independent inquiry into sexual abuse - DutchNews.nl

Jehovah’s Witnesses reject calls for independent inquiry into sexual abuse

May 22, 2018

The Jehovah’s Witnesses community in the Netherlands will not hold an independent inquiry into the sexual abuse of members, despite being urged to do so by justice minister Sander Dekker.

By last month, 267 reports of sexual abuse involving Jehovah’s Witnesses had been made to a hotline set up by the Reclaimed Voices foundation in 2017 after [newspaper] Trouw published a report on the growing scandal.

Dekker told RTL Nieuws (Dutch only) on Tuesday that the organization's decision is ‘disappointing’ and that it is ignoring the victims who want to be heard. He has no powers to force the organization to hold an inquiry.

A spokesman for the Reclaimed Voices foundation said that the victims had not expected much from the church itself. ‘But we are very disappointed in the minister,’ Raymond Hintjes said. ‘We had expected him to apply more pressure and make sure that there would be an independent inquiry.’

Dekker said last year that the church should look to the example of the Catholic church to dealing with complaints about sexual abuse. In total, 3,712 people have reported being victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic church to a special hotline set up in 2010.

There are some 30,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Netherlands.

 

[angelburst29]

I just came across this Dutch article on sexual abuse but it does not involve the JW but might be of interest?

May 22, 2018 - The Netherlands: 1,400 Underage Dutch Girls Forced Into Sex Slavery By “Migrant Background” Males
The Netherlands: 1,400 Underage Dutch Girls Forced Into Sex Slavery By “Migrant Background” Males

In a startling report in the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (AD), it has been revealed that more than a thousand girls will be blackmailed and forced into prostitution over the course of a year in the Netherlands.

The article discusses the work of Watch Netherlands — a cooperative organization between the Center Against Child and Human Trafficking and Fier and Terre des Hommes, an aid organization.

Watch Netherlands operates from an action center in Randstad with a dozen researchers and IT specialists, who search for evidence of child exploitation after it is reported by parents, taxi drivers, or even the victims of the sexual abuse themselves.

The AD article makes reference to “loverboys” — sex traffickers, of whom “the lion’s share has a migration background”.

The report by AD also reveals that Watch Netherlands transferred more than 70 cases to authorities last year. Watch Netherlands investigates how many victims a sex trafficker ensnares, where the children are offered for sale, and where victims are kept hidden. The organization even has private detectives that are sent out to observe on location to gather evidence.

The traffickers will befriend and manipulate young girls into having sex with them and will proceed to film or take a photo during their initial sexual foray, thus blackmailing the girl.

Marijke van Overveld and Esmee Huijps, Dutch police specialists in human trafficking, say of the “loverboys”:

It’s not even necessary to lure the girls by being loving. Once they have a compromising video of you, that is enough for blackmail. Especially for young girls, whose parents do not know anything.​

Van Overveld also points out that there are nearly 1,400 underage victims yearly. Once the blackmail is obtained, the girls are forced into prostitution. Traffickers of mostly Moroccan, Turkish, Antillean, or Romany descent abuses and lures girls into the “lucrative trade,” sometimes “earning up to 800 euros a day on a girl.”

AD also explains that the “loverboys” are also tied into other, more heinous crimes, such as drug and weapons trafficking. Carolien van den Honert, policy officer at the Center for Sexuality and Human Trafficking states:

These are seasoned criminals… often with an online network for customer recruitment.​

Watch Netherlands is actively trying to end such online trades of traffickers by deterring customers with their own “lure ads.” Customers who attempt to buy girls via the organization’s bait ads are e-mailed “Watch Netherlands knows you now, make sure we never meet you again.”

With traffickers getting smarter and using less obvious methods — such as driving ordinary cars and luring girls using only online methods — it is a cat-and-mouse game between “loverboys” and police.

Along with Watch Netherlands’ investigation and work, emphasis is being placed on prevention — with police training focusing on recognizing signals from parents and victims regarding sexual abuse. Concerned family members or teachers are urged to speak up if they notice something amiss.

Sex trafficking has long been the norm in the United Kingdom, with cases against 20 groomers in Telford, England being recently dropped, despite decades of sexual exploitation against young girls.

Small communities will continue to be rocked and manipulated by migrants with bad intentions, as long as unfettered access across borders is allowed in Europe. At what point does one declare that enough is enough and the safety and security of innocent children comes before the well-being of refugees, many of whom have values that are incompatible with Western society?

 

[Palinurus]

Thanks angelburst29.

I already read this news on SOTT the other day (from a different source):

Dutch newspaper report - Over 1,000 underage girls forced into sex slavery by migrant traffickers -- Sott.net

However, I didn't think it would belong here and therefore I didn't reference it.

The loverboy problem is not really new as far as the Netherlands is concerned; it is already ongoing for years and has nothing to do with pedophilia per se but all the more with prostitution and sex trafficking -- although there may be minors involved every now and then.

It's only aggravating now because of the involvement of 'new' groups of players, in casu migrant criminal gangs.

 

[Palinurus]

Source: Jehovah's Witnesses refused to hand over evidence in sexual abuse case - DutchNews.nl

August 3, 2018

Religious sect Jehovah’s Witnesses has refused to hand over documents to the public prosecutor in which an ex-member admits the abuse of a child, also member of the sect at the time, RTL Nieuws reports (in Dutch).

Samet G, now 31, was a minor himself when the abuse of his 4 year-old niece started. The abuse continued until she was 14 and was reported to the police in 2015 when the girl and her mother left the Christian sect.

A court in Breda last week sentenced G to a 9 months suspended sentence and a fine for the abuse but did not have access to the confession, which dates from 2011. G is appealing against his conviction.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have their own internal committees which sit in judgment in cases of sexual abuse and do not involve the police. A record of these proceedings is made and kept.

According to RTL, the public prosecutor’s request for a copy of the confession was refused on the grounds that it would compromise the man’s privacy and that, by law, clergymen, or in this case the elders, cannot be forced to reveal what has been told to them in confidence.

Although there is doubt among lawyers that the Jehovah’s Witnesses elders can claim this right, the public prosecutor accepted the refusal, RTL writes.

The sect also refuses to cooperate in an independent inquiry and, according to minister for legal protection Sander Dekker, it cannot be forced to do so.

Abuse survivors

According to Reclaimed Voices, an organization that helps ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses members who were victims of sexual abuse, the minister needs to do much more. ‘If we can’t get the files via the courts we need politicians to act. Someone must force the Jehovah’s Witnesses to hand them over,’ the organization's spokesman Frank Huiting told RTL.

CDA MP Madeleine van Toorenburg and other MPs have asked the minister to investigate if Jehovah’s Witness have the right to refuse access to documents that might shed light on a criminal case and slated the sect’s ‘culture of silence and cover-ups,’ RTL writes.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are being widely accused of silencing victims of sexual abuse within the sect. The Guardian newspaper recently uncovered [March 25, 2018] a case involving at least 100 victims who claim to have been abused.