Coroner Blames Jehovah’s Witness Blood Rules in Woman’s Death

Heather Winchester, Jehovah’s Witness, who died in 2019 From ABC News (Supplied: Elizabeth MacIntyre)

On September 27th, 2019, Ms. Heather Winchester, a Jehovah’s Witness in Australia tragically passed away at 75 at Maitland Hospital after undergoing a routine hysterectomy.

Published By: Miss Usato, Last Updated: March 7th 2025

The Case of Heather Winchester

In New South Wales, Australia, in February 2025, Deputy State Coroner Magistrate David O’Neil concluded the inquest into Ms. Winchesters death by critiquing the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ blood-refusal guidelines. His coroner’s report reveals how outdated and misleading religious directives contributed to her death—a preventable tragedy fueled by misguided doctrine and medical confusion. Sadly, this is neither the first nor the last time someone will lose their life to blood loss due to the organization’s strict refusal policies—at least not unless the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has new light on changing the doctrine.

The complications from Winchester’s elective surgery led to severe blood loss. Despite doctors’ repeated pleas, she refused a blood transfusion – an action in line with the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Her decision was based on a belief that refusing blood would bring her closer to Jehovah’s approval, stemming from the religious teachings of the Jehovah’s Witness faith. Tragically, after suffering more than a liter of blood loss, Ms. Winchester’s organs began to fail, leading to her death.

Winchester’s daughter, Elizabeth MacIntyre, testified at the inquest, expressing the devastating impact of her mother’s religious commitment. “She was quite stubborn, but she felt this (refusing blood) was what the Congregation was telling her to do, and she wanted to do what they wanted her to do.” The family’s tragedy was further compounded by the unyielding stance of the religious organization in perpetuating potentially deadly practices.

Flawed and Dangerous Guidance

O’Neil didn’t mince words in condemning the congregation’s role in the tragedy, stating, “It is an example of problems arising from the Organization seeking to provide medical information to congregants in NSW within documents published in America.” He also clarified that these worksheets should no longer be used for medical decision-making, urging that they be removed from circulation altogether.

During the inquest, Deputy State Coroner O’Neil sharply criticized the Jehovah’s Witnesses for distributing outdated, confusing, and dangerous medical guidelines. The worksheets the United States Jehovah’s Witness Organization designed in their article ‘Our Kingdom Ministry’-to your left were filled out by Winchester and copied into the coroner’s report shown to your right. It provides a framework for Jehovah’s Witnesses to reject certain blood products. However, the documents failed to consider the medical realities in Australia, where many of the blood substitutes suggested in the organization’s guidance were either unavailable or unproven.

O’Neil revealed that doctors attempting to treat Ms. Winchester were hampered by a lack of appropriate alternatives to blood transfusions. Non-human donor hemoglobin and artificial hemoglobin, which were referenced as acceptable substitutes by the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ guidelines, were unavailable in New South Wales at the time. This discrepancy caused enormous confusion and compounded the risk to Ms. Winchester’s life.

The inquest heard from medical professionals who expressed their frustration over being put in a position where they were unable to save Ms. Winchester due to her refusal of a blood transfusion. Despite multiple surgeries and heroic efforts to stop the bleeding and prevent organ failure, doctors were forced to work within the strict and illogical confines of Winchesters’ religious beliefs. At one point, medical staff considered taking legal action to override her wishes, but they ultimately ran out of time. The conflicting needs of life-saving care versus religious directives created a catastrophic situation that could have been avoided.

Elizabeth Macintyre also voiced her dissatisfaction with the handling of her mother’s death. She was under the impression that an autopsy would be conducted to determine the source of the excessive blood loss but was devastated to learn later that no autopsy had been performed. This left the family with lingering questions.

The Problem with Medical Terminology and Guidance

A central issue discussed during the inquest was the poor medical terminology and misleading guidance in the organization’s documents. The worksheets provided by the Jehovah’s Witnesses included terms like “durable power of attorney” and “red cells and hemoglobin,” which were highly confusing in the context of Australian medical practices. These documents, which were designed for use in the United States, did not align with Australian standards, leaving patients and medical professionals alike struggling to interpret the proper course of action.

Mr. Kemertzis, a Jehovah’s Witnesses representative, admitted that the Organizations medical documents were based on American practices and acknowledged that these terms could cause significant misunderstandings. O’Neil found that this lack of clarity and inconsistency was a major factor in the tragic outcome of Ms. Winchester’s case and also stated that these documents were misleading, potentially life-threatening, and should no longer be in use.

Coroner’s Strong Recommendations

In response to the overwhelming issues revealed during the inquest, Deputy State Coroner O’Neil issued 14 recommendations to improve the situation. These recommendations centered on ensuring that Jehovah’s Witnesses have accurate, precise, and localized medical information and that the church takes responsibility for its dangerous guidelines. I combined them into 3 major points.

Ban on Misleading Worksheets: The coroner recommended that Jehovah’s Witnesses in New South Wales cease using the worksheets promoted by the church. These worksheets, which failed to account for local medical practices, were deemed wholly unsuitable and dangerous for medical decision-making. The coroner emphasized that these documents should be removed from circulation immediately.
Clarification of Medical and Legal Terminology:
The Organization was urged to revise all medical documents to reflect the local medical and legal frameworks of New South Wales. The inquest revealed that the organization’s documents included confusing, ambiguous, and foreign terms that were not helpful in the Australian context. The coroner insisted that these documents be updated to ensure that individuals are not misled or left in a position to make harmful decisions.
Improvement of Blood Substitute Information: Given that blood substitute products were not widely available in New South Wales, the coroner urged the Organization to provide better guidance, particularly for those refusing blood transfusions. Transparent, up-to-date information on blood substitutes could help ensure congregants are fully informed about their options in cases of severe blood loss.

Consideration for Broader Changes: Although the Coroner’s recommendations were specific to New South Wales, he also suggested that the Organization consider applying them across Australia and internationally. The coroner clarified that the risks involved with blood refusal are not confined to one jurisdiction and that the Organization should review its policies globally to avoid similar fatalities in other regions.

A Devastating, Preventable Tragedy

The tragic death of Heather Winchester highlights the all too familiar dangers posed by the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ stance on blood transfusions and the flawed guidance they provide to their followers. While the organization maintains that it is not responsible for medical decisions, its teachings undeniably influence the health choices of its members, often leading them to make life-threatening decisions based on outdated and inaccurate medical information. An example of this is on their site under a meeting workbook for September 30-October 6, 2024, shown below, “Never compromise your relationship with Jehovah by accepting a medical treatment that goes against his standards.” Yet, their site also claims that their followers have the personal decision to abstain from blood. So it’s your choice, but you will be wrong and bad about it if you choose “wrong.”

The organization’s teachings have led to the preventable deaths of individuals who, like Ms. Winchester, believed they were following their faith. O’Neils recommendations are critical in addressing these dangers and ensuring that Jehovah’s Witnesses are better informed about their medical choices.

As this Organization continues to promote its restrictive stance on blood transfusions, the question remains: how many more lives will be lost before significant reforms are made? This inquest should be a wake-up call, not just for the Jehovah’s Witness community, but for society at large, urging a reevaluation of the deadly consequences of blind adherence to religious doctrine in medical decisions.

Links

Winchesters Coroner’s report

Coronial inquest concerning a person of Jehovah’s Witness faith | Our client’s story

ABC News: Coroner condemns Jehovah’s Witness blood transfusion rules after follower’s hospital death

Sunday Morning Herald: Jehovah’s Witness refuses blood transfusion

AvoidJW On Blood Transfusions

Miss Usato

Aiding Transparency to Watchtowers teachings. If you have additional information about this topic or would like to reach the author- Please email MissUsato@proton.me

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