Minister’s disappointment after rejection of abuse investigation by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Minister Dekker for Legal Protection is disappointed that the board of the Jehovah's Witnesses refuses to conduct an independent investigation after allegations of child abuse.

In a letter to the House, the minister writes that the board has informed him that it sees no reason for this. The leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses says that a small number of people have come forward with accusations and that the organization itself has already taken measures to protect children in recent years.

The minister states that he has no options to oblige the Jehovah's Witnesses to cooperate in an investigation into the nature and extent of sexual abuse within that community.

Declaration

Minister Dekker will investigate whether it is possible and desirable to expand the reporting obligation in cases of sexual abuse of children. He believes that in general it should be prevented that sexual crimes are only resolved internally by organizations. The extension of the reporting obligation could mean that organizations are obliged to report child abuse to the police.

At the end of last year, dozens of reports were received within a short time after the establishment of a reporting center for sexual abuse within the Jehovah's Witnesses. Reports were also received by the newspaper Trouw, which has regularly written about abuse within that circle.