Jehovah’s Witnesses: ‘no objection’ to reports of abuse

The Jehovah's Witnesses denomination has "no objection whatsoever" to the fact that sexual abuse has been reported within the religious community. A spokesperson said this in response to the news that the Public Prosecution Service is investigating nine cases of sexual violence within the community.

"We obviously have no objection to the fact that reports have been filed and that those involved will soon have to appear in court," the response states. "We therefore await the findings of the Public Prosecution Service with interest."

Because Jehovah's Witnesses say they are not familiar with the details of the reports, the community wants to stick to that response. For a more general position on child abuse, the spokesperson refers to The Biblical Position of Jehovah's Witnesses on the Protection of Children, which has been written about this.

'Biblical position'

That 'Biblical position' states, among other things, that the denomination never protects child abusers from the authorities. According to the text, parents have the right to report the crime without being criticized by the elders. According to those rules, they should also be told that. They may also seek help from experts.

If a case of abuse becomes known to the elders, they must report it to a branch office. This department of the society supervises Jehovah's Witnesses in a country or area and, according to internal rules, must ensure that the legal obligation to report child abuse is complied with.

The text also states that elders themselves start an investigation based on the Bible after a report of abuse. If the church member does not repent, that person will be expelled from the church. If the perpetrator of abuse remains, he or she may only hold a position of responsibility after decades, according to the document.

Difference in the number of notifications and declarations

It is not clear to what extent Jehovah's Witnesses follow the rules in the 'Biblical position'. Although the document states that the church must comply with the legal obligation to report child abuse, the Reclaimed Voices foundation believes that abuse is being covered up.

Reclaimed Voices stands up for the interests of victims and received a total of 276 reports of abuse, a big difference compared to the number of reports. The newspaper Trouw, which regularly wrote about the abuses, also received several reports of abuse.