Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697641418596.pdf (Australia)
September 26 2019 To the Legal and Constitutional Affairs of Australia I was given advice from the Government & Shadow Government’s Office that I am able to make a submission regarding the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing bill which you are currently reviewing.

Please accept this as my submission.

I think that it should be introduced into this country as a law and I will explain why in a short form.

We have experienced this terrible crime twice within our family.
Two of my sisters who had children, one from a prior marriage and the other a relationship were so unlucky to have later married pedophiles unknowingly.

Both cases went through the Australian court system.

One was successful in having the pedophile serve jail time and the other was not for reasons we do not understand.

My sisters and their children from prior marriages were completely vulnerable and innocent parties as they give their trust to these new husbands and stepfathers full of criminal intent.
It is important for the survivors to know that what was done to them was not their fault and that it is a crime against children, our most vulnerable members of society.

They have the rest of their long lives to live, if they can bare it and don’t end up harming or taking their own life as we see and hear of happening continually in the news and social media.
Parents, police involved in working on the cases and members of the public feel let down by the judicial system when these tried criminals are left to roam around our society, lurking where children who are so very innocent, so trusting of adults and unknowing of the dangers live and play day to day.

The only way is to lock these sick thinking people up and brand them with prison time which they have to wear on their records for the rest of their lives in every aspect of their life.
The ramifications of what the victims and their families endure is far worse than anything imaginable.

The judicial system let down one of my sisters badly and also the lives of her child prior to the marriage and then later two of the children from his marriage to my sister.

The religious bodies with their bible based servants who have no professional training in how to correctly deal with the people involved with this crime certainly are not of any help in these matters either.
They are more of a hindrance to the police than a help in abuse cases.

In particular I am speaking of within the Jehovah’s Witness religion which is where I have my life experience.

I am now an ex JW, but was a practicing JW for over 30 years and was active during the time of my sister’s abuse case from her pedophile husband.
Due to the policies and procedures that they follow, in particular enforcing that the victim follow some ridiculous old law in the old testament of the Bible that two eye witnesses are needed to prove guilt of a pedophile.

If the young child victim cannot produce two eyewitnesses, not medical witnesses but eye witnesses such as another abuse victim, they cannot proceed with anything unless the pedophile admits to this crime, which they class as a sin.
If the person is commiting the crime is for example the child’s father and he is an elder, that poor child has to continue to live in that environment.

Wives are very much taught to be in subjection to the husband and that he is the head of the house no matter what.

The husband knows best they are taught and are brainwashed into this belief through emotional blackmail and fear of bringing disgrace to their God, Jehovah.

There may be cases where the pedophile does admit to guilt.
But then the judicial committee of 3 JW men will tell the victims a variety of things.

Things such as “we will wait on Jehovah to fix this problem”, or “We would not want to bring reproach on to Jehovah’s name” because the JWs are supposed to portray a squeaky clean organization while they are brainwashed to believe that Jehovah’s organization is a clean organization and that their case is such an isolated case, when that is far from the truth.
Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019 [Provisions]Submission 22 They may tell the victims that they will handle it, with the victims then believing them, but they rarely do anything about it, if ever.

Any procedures and beliefs they have in writing are written in a sneaky way as they are not a transparent organization when it comes to rules.
The elders and hierarchy of JWs call this “spiritual warfare” and do anything they need to do in protection of the JW organization without any bad conscience because even the elders probably believe they are protecting Jehovah’s name.

It is a very strong minded cult.

They are protecting pedophiles, counting pedophilia as a sin which needs to be forgiven by the victim and hiding information of pedophiles from other parents who have children within the same walls of the JW kingdom halls.
It is beyond anything reasonable at all to not punish these pedophiles with a prison sentence.

My ex brother in law, who ruined the life of my sister long term, was never jailed and is just wandering around within the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a man who does not have a criminal conviction.

He is just a man who has a reoccurring sin to them.

He has easy accessibility to children of all ages with their door to door witnessing work.
Girls or boys, it seems he is not fussy, according to his crimes against his own children, a son and a daughter and as well as a stepdaughter some years back.

I know he used to also have a self-made business which would attract children, no doubt attempting to be a magnet to children.

He may still well be in this business but I have no way of verifying that as I have lost contact with him.

We are no longer in the dark ages and this has to be tackled once and for all.
This crime has increased at alarming rates, no doubt due to the negative and dark side of the internet and one would assume it will get a lot worse before it ever gets better.

Although Mandatory Minimum Sentencing is parliament getting involved and may look like it encroaches on our judicial system, we, the people have had enough of these people just roaming around wandering where they will get their next kick from our beloved children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Please know that as a concerned citizen and grandmother, sister and Aunt, I am a person in favor and support of this bill becoming a law.

I see that One Punch intervention by parliament has been a great thing for this country and this will be also.

Yours faithfully Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection Measures) Bill 2019 [Provisions]Submission 22