Another Church Sex Scandal
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA, April 29, 2003
(CBS)Like any mom, Heidi Meyer fixes boo-boos, serves up breakfast and even reviews some math homework.
But every day is a fight for this mom to overcome her past.
“Basically any way that he could put his hands on me, he did,” she told CBS News Correspondent Jane Clayson.
From the time she was 10, until she turned 13, Heidi, a Jehovah’s Witness, says she was molested by a member of her congregation. Finally, she turned to the leaders of her faith.
And what did they say?
“They asked me, do you think this could be a misunderstanding? And I said, no. No, I’m very sure of how his hands were on my body and there’s no way to misunderstand that,” Meyer said.
But the elders dismissed her plea for help and sent her away with a warning: “You need to keep quiet about this. You don’t want to drag his name through the mud. You don’t want to drag the name of Jehovah’s organization through the mud.”
Bill Bowen, an elder for more than 20 years explained, “Anything that an elder says is viewed as the direct word of God.”
Bowen, a former Jehovah’s Witness went on, “You could even be excommunicated for questioning what an elder tells you to do. There’s no negotiation here. You must obey what the elders direct.”
But what silences most victims is that Jehovah’s Witnesses require either a confession or two eyewitnesses to any accusation — making sexual abuse almost impossible to prove.
For Leanna Morley, in Oregon, the abuse started when she was five.
“It’s time that the people knew about the secrets that happen in that religion,” she said. “It was a living hell.”
Sue was seven years old and living in Washington. Her molester later made a chilling confession. He said there were 24 to 42 little girls that he had molested — he couldn’t remember how many exactly.
Bill Bowen says by the end of the year he expects at least 100 lawsuits to be filed against the faith.
The problem is huge, he said. “It’s of global proportions. You’re talking about tens of thousands of children who’ve been molested in the last ten years. Tens of thousands, easily.”
The Jehovah’s Witnesses Headquarters disputes these numbers but says they’re aware of the problem — and cites a letter it published last May. It says “we have long instructed elders to report allegations of child abuse to the authorities where required by law to do so, even where there is only one witness.”
There is another letter. It denies Heidi Meyer’s charges, saying “… no child abuse involved.”
For Heidi, it’s another betrayal by a faith she trusted and turned to for help.
“These are your spiritual leaders, these are men appointed by God in the eyes of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and who was I? You know, I was just some kid.”
As a mom she’s still fighting to overcome her past — even choosing to home school her son because she’s afraid to leave him with others.
@juelmer Ya not a jehovagina jehovordure? but why you associate God with je-SHIT-hovah ya dumbfuck shit-eater?
Next troglodyte please!
@otto marconi
Nice choice of words!, it seems like you really love yourself… Anyhow, I do not belong to JW religion. Hopefully you will find peace and happiness with your spiritual believes, have a nice rest of your life.
@JUELMER dear Juelmer, the throat of your shit-devourer cockroach monkeyclown god is my crapper, pisser and puker.
Oh and the bibles books were voted on in rome… not ordained by god! Look it up, Or just believe what your told…. either way we all get old and die, your choice to be held down your whole life,
You JW’S really need to look at religion history, Its all made up… And JW’s Have molestors to0! I was a JW and left on my own…. It’s a crock of shit, and you people are blind, and believe what ever is feed to you, why do you think they call everyone not a JW being part of the world?
The Truth? You are all Stupied narrow minded idiot’s.
I think that every religion have their flaws, and no Bible is a perfect translation of God’s(Jehovah) words since humans made its translations. Every religion makes their own translations to their conveniences and since we do not have the “original” copy and we do not read Aramaic or Hebrew then we have to believe what somebody translates in their own words… not necessarily God’s(Jehovah) words. I hope everyone finds a religion that satisfies their needs for sharing in peace and harmony without harming anyone… remember to “love others like you love yourself.”
I think that everyone imperfect , well i know they are. If this is happenenin in th organisation do you really think Jehovah is happy with it???If you do then you ARE stupid and haven’t read the Bible. I feel for the children who have been abused my aunt was and my dad too but their abuser wasn’t a JW. A a JW i know that people who PROCLAIM to be JW’s don’t always show that they are following Jehovahs laws by their actions and they will be dealt with at Armagedon its frustratin to see and read bad things aboutJW’s but thats life because some of them aren’t who they say they are and thats bad. But i don;t let the fact that stupid idiots who do wrong stuff and say they are witnesses stop me drawing close to Jehovah, because why should their stupidity stop me from knowing the truth of what the Bible teaches?Their are weirdos and perverts in all society their are priests who are Gay even though the Bible clearly states that a man who lies with a man is something detestable to Jehovah and for the catholics who been on TV sayin that Gods view has changed with the times take a look at the book of Michah it clearly says i am Jehovah, i have not changed. I know that people will look at cases like Heidi and sis long and shun witnesses altogether but when you finaly find answers that agree with the bible and what it really teaches like what happens when you die the issue of blood and the resurection you can see that its true its just such a shame that there are people who do such things to chldren and i as a JW hope that they are dealt with poperly and reported to the law and if they are not then let that be on their heads when judgement day comes. Not all witnesses are bad or child abusers the ones that are they should deffinatley be dealt with, i was nearly abducted by ba man when i was very young i find it hard to trust men but whenever i have gone to my elders they have always helped me and i have benefitted and i feel for these young ladies who have suffered and as a result lost faith. Like the saying goes it only takes one wrotten apple to spoil the basket. This is he only religion i have found that ofers satisfactory answers to all the profound questions i had and they used the BIBLE to answer them not their own opinions. Just know that jehovah condems child molestation and anybody doing it IS CONDEMED BY him!!!
You are insane. Did your wife have an affair with a JW or something? You are on all these site. JWs may have a terrible child abuse policy but they don’t let anyone sleep with anyone unless it is their own spouse.
Translated: You are an insane moron.
Do you think that by attending one meeting you can see what JW are all about??? They do put up a good show! No doubt about it. What you need to see is what goes behind closed doors.
Okay, that just sounded odd, but if anyone wants to see what really goes on there, just attend a service. More likely you’ll just find alot of decent people learning about god. You might even find many very accurate answers to the rumors that angry people claim. After all you dont want someone else to tell what to think about these people.
sex abuse is directed by leaders, because sex is the weakest part in
human since adam and eves slip. The same Method continues in watchtower organization.
Compare their bible, UM-95 translation.
1 chor.5,14
1 chor,9,5 /everything is made to support adultery .
Also they continue to multiply by making pregnant others wifes and daughtors, by others expenses exact as Kockoo birds.