Pedophiles know that any confession they make is concealed. The Witnesses don't want to bring shame to their name. Witness spokesman Brown says that the incidence of pedophilia is no worse in his religion than in others, but he admits that some elders have not reported suspicions of abuse. In 38 states, the law requires clergy and other professionals to report physical and sexual abuse of children. Some critics argue that even in the 22 states that do not require clergy members to report, Witness elders do not qualify for such a privilege because most are neither professionally trained nor paid employees of the organization.
Internal policies vary among American religious groups.
But we cannot bring charges in every case. Although the Book of Discipline for the United Methodist Church outlines abuse procedures, local pastors often determine how to handle the specifics of a case. Broken families Dozens of court cases, both national and international, have surfaced in recent years that shed light on how seriously many people have been affected by the Watchtower 's instruction regarding abuse. In lengthy interviews with Christianity Today , two former Witness families described how sexual abuse has shattered their lives. The family informed local Witness leaders.