Sarah Davies, Duncan Corbett, Lloyd Evans and Paul Gillies give evidence to the Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) on Monday August 10, 2020. Paul Gillies gives further evidence on Tuesday August 11, 2020. The public hearing on the aforementioned dates examines the child protection policies and safeguarding culture in Jehovah’s Witnesses in England and Wales.
Sarah Davies is a child sexual abuse survivor of a Jehovah’s Witness and provided accurate information about how she has been treated by Jehovah’s Witnesses and how her congregation elders handled her case. Duncan Corbett is a former elder who served for 18 years and provided accurate information from an April 8, 1999 Awake!. Lloyd Evans is a former elder who served for about 12 months and provided accurate information about his understanding of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ policies relating to child abuse. Paul Gillies is Overseer (Director) of the Public Relations Office at World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in upstate New York. He provided information showing clearly how Jehovah’s Witness elders do not have any professional training in handling child sexual abuse, and that Jehovah’s Witnesses do not audit or monitor elders’ handling of child abuse.
May 14, 2020: Solicitors’ Opening Statements
August 10, 2020: Day 1 Video Testimony
August 11, 2020: Day 2 Video Testimony
August 14, 2020: Day 3 Closing Statements
August 11, 2020: Gillies lying under oath
August 11, 2020: Prof. Frank to Paul Gillies
Key Documents
Application to Recuse Ivor Frank
- First Letter from Watch Tower (CCJW)
- First Response to Simon Achonu from IICSA
- Second Letter from Watch Tower (CCJW)
- Second Response to Simon Achonu from IICSA
- Final Letter from Watch Tower (CCJW)
- Fourth Supplementary Witness Statement of Paul Stuart Gillies
- Notice of Determination – Recusal Application
Documents Released during the hearings
- Public Hearing Transcript 10 August 2020
- Public Hearing Transcript 11 August 2020
- Evidence from an Abuse Survivor
- Abuse Survivor A v Watchtower Bible & Tract Society et al
- Witness Statement of Sarah Davies (3 Dec 2019)
- Second Witness Statement of Sarah Davies (25 February 2020)
- Third Witness Statement of Sarah Davies (11 May 2020)
- Further Witness Statement of Sarah Davies (30 June 2020)
- Witness Statement of Duncan Corbett (17 February 2020)
- Witness Statement #1 of Lloyd Evans
- Witness Statement #2 of Lloyd Evans
- Witness Statement #3 of Lloyd Evans
- Witness Statement #4 of Lloyd Evans
- Lancashire CC v EF et al
- The Watchtower Study Edition May 2019
- Steps 6 to 8: Ecclesiastical Judicial Committee
- List of documents adduced on Monday 10 August 2020
- List of documents adduced on Tuesday 11 August 2020
- Witness Statement of Paul Gillies (02 Dec 2019)
- Witness Statement of Paul Gillies (02 Dec 2019) Highlighted
- Witness Statement #2 of Paul Gillies
- Witness Statement #3 of Paul Gillies
- Witness Statement #4 of Paul Gillies
- Witness Statement #1 of Rudi Dobson
- Witness Statement #2 of Rudi Dobson
- Shepherd the Flock of God (extracts from Chapters 12 & 14)
- Decision: Manchester New Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Witness Statement #1 of Philip Ensor
- Partial Witness Statement
- Statement of PR-H14
- List of Abusers and News Articles
- Child Protection Data Summary Sheet of Luke Jones
- Recommendations to WT from NSPCC
- Victims Dissuaded from Reporting to the Police
- Witness Statement of Jim Gamble QPM
- Witness Statement of Jane Booth
- Witness Statement of Kersten England
- Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) – Summary of Referrals
- Exhibit A: Witness Statement of PR-A39
- Exhibit B: Witness Statement of PR-A40
- Exhibit D: Chapter 11 of “Live with Jehovah’s Day in Mind” (2014)
- Exhibit H: Chapter 12 of Shepherd the Flock of God (2015)
- Exhibit PG1/PG61: S-66 Child Sexual Abuse – Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Jan 2019)
- Exhibit PG1/PG61: Extracts of publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses on combatting child sexual abuse (02 Dec 2019)
- Exhibit PG1/PG61: Child Safeguarding Policy (February 2011)
- Exhibit PG2/PG61: Extracts of safeguarding policy of Jehovah’s Witnesses on child sexual abuse and direction on its implementation (02 Dec 2019)
- Exhibit PG3/PG61: Extracts from Organized to do Jehovah’s Will (August 2019)
- Exhibit PG4/PG61: Transcript from JW.org video What Happens at a Kingdom Hall? (02 Dec 2019)
- Exhibit PG5/PG61: Extract from How to Remain in God’s Love (October 2017)
- Exhibit 12/PG61: Child Safeguarding Policy of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (January 2017)
- Exhibit PG14/PG61: Extract from June 22, 1982 Awake!
- Exhibit PG15/PG61: Extract from October 1, 1983 Awake!
In the News
Wales Online
The Guardian Newspaper
Article last updated September 23, 2020: Added documents regarding application to recuse Ivor Frank