Victoria, Australia: Steven Unthank's Press Release: JW's Hierarchy Formally Charged Today With Child Abuse

Fark greenlighting this is a great idea. I am pretty good friends with one of the mods, when this hits the real news hit me up and I will see if I can get it greenlit.

We need to start using Twitter to spread stuff like this ... perhaps using hollywood stars that advocate for children's right - hey, the Egyptians started Revolution using Facebook ... I am very passionate about the WT sexual abuse handling and cover up - my niece was a victim of awful sexual abuse by 3 different JWs in El Salvador, it is all over the world. 

To call Steven Unthank from abroad: 011 edited. Barbara Anderson is a "real person" who has spoken to him at various times. The newspaper didn't publish an item from a ghost but a real person. He was going to wait and let the government prosecute so he wouldn't have to pay for either the filing or subsequent costs but victims and their families urged him to, paid and say they will be backing him. An article is to come out in an Australian paper on Sunday, I assume the same paper.

Just got this email ,,so watch for news Australian Sunday??

Sure would like to see something in U.S. newspapers.

First, let me make plain that I'm not a go-between Steven Unthank and the readers on JWN. I post interesting material that might involve JWs. I have spoken to him once on the phone and that was yesterday as I tried to figure out what was going on. Regarding the Unthank legal charges against the WT, my information comes from doing some research. As far as I can ascertain, this is the latest news: Steven Unthank was given the ok by the Victorian powers that be to formally file his charges, which he did July 26th and there will be a hearing on September 13th to look into the charges. WT has received a summons to respond to the charges. That's the latest information that I have.

Listener: You said,

"I have never before heard the claim that there is at least one resurrected member of the FDS in heavern per every congregation worldwide.  Is this written somewhere by the JWs?"  

Neither have I heard this claim. I just copied it from Steven's material. It could just be an idea that came from Steven's JW experience that has been spread through the Australian Witness community over the years.  

 You asked about this: "The Governing Body operates in Victoria as they sign their "person" name on the inside of many books which are distributed in Victoria, Australia."

I think that this has reference to a message from the GB that has appeared in the beginning of a few recent WT books that were distributed in Australia.

 I reviewed a public letter Steven wrote his state representatives some time ago when he submitted his charges against the WT. I found this part of the letter interesting:

 To commence this prosecution a Brief of Evidence has been prepared. The Brief is unorthodox. However, there is no pro-forma for a Brief. 

The Brief satisfies both legal and religious aspects and takes into consideration the Victorian Charter of HumanRights and Responsibilities Act 2006 and also the Australian Constitution. Note: corporations do not have human rights.

 It was necessary to assemble and present the Brief in the very religious way it is and therefore it is not expected that it will conform to everyone’s specific liking. You may not be able to grasp this at the moment by reviewing the Brief but that is why we have advisors. 

As such I am asking you not to dismiss the document or the relevance of each Section and Dissertation. 

To illustrate: the first page, cover page, sounds ridiculous…i.e. A Submission to God and Christ. 

But then consider the following: this is how we open parliament…with a submission by prayer to God through Christ. 

Sometimes we never really sit back to see what our official or private actions and words really convey. 

Consider what the following really means (even from a non-religious point-of-view):

 When we open Parliament it is our custom and tradition for the Lord’s prayer to be acknowledged or an approved prayer to be said. The King James Holy Bible puts the Lord's prayer this way: 

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven…” 

At present God’s will includes that the governmental authorities rule over the people. His will also includes that the children be protected. 

Therefore, every parliamentary sitting or inquiry opened with prayer or the reading of the Lord’s prayer is in fact a Submission to God and a request to Him for His guidance and direction in the doing of His will…which in this instance includes child protection. 

With this in mind, it would be appreciated if the Victorian Parliament could assemble a small team to urgently review the entire Brief (The Submission 2011) and note the areas that apply to various State and Commonwealth Departments for immediate action. Why? 

The Watch Tower Society has been operating for many years in breach of and in defiance of so many corporate, state and federal laws across Australia, it has become quite literally the single largest criminal organisation in our country! 

They have achieved this by hiding behind what can best be described as a religious and sanctimonious front. 

According to the Australian Securities Investment Commission (ASIC) the Watch Tower Society in Australia trades as an “Australian Public Company” through the Registered Trading Name: “Jehovah’s Witnesses”. 

Most people do not even know of the existence of the Watch Tower Society. To them the name Watchtower is associated with the name of a magazine and nothing more. 

The Watch Tower Society IS NOT A RELIGION and as such is not the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses nor is it the church. It is a management corporation. 

Laws governing freedom of religion do not apply to registered corporations. In addition the religious beliefs of individual officers of a corporation are irrelevant if the corporation breaks the law, or in this case commits ongoing indictable criminal offences against child protection laws and these officers are involved as a committee of management. 

A copy of the entire 664 page Brief of Evidence for the Charging, Indictment, and Prosecution of the Watch Tower Society has been made specifically available for yourself and your staff and any Victorian politician. 

For an extensive and complete list of all Public Authorities within the meaning of the Victorian Public Administration Act 2004 who are aware that the Watch Tower Society and the religion are non-compliant with mandatory child protection laws see pages 323 to 327 of the above cited document “The Submission 2011”. 

This section also contains a “Summary In Evidence”. 

Pages 585 (item D17.4) of the document “The Submission 2011” explains some of the reasons why the Watch Tower Society deliberately refuses to comply with the Working with Children Act 2005. 

Non-compliance places all children within the community at risk. The children need immediate protection and those violating child protection laws need to feel the full force of the law. Especially as there are now over 700,000 adults in the State of Victoria who have complied with the Working with Children Act 2005...each of whom was told that non-compliance is punishable by up to 2 years per "an offence".

To call Steven Unthank from abroad: 011 edited

BTW, please do not call that number right now and expect a response. It's currently 2am Australian time.

(Guess I should head off to bed then)

I did just send an email to the newspaper, no response yet.

Once the reporter gets a chance to walk in to his office and turn on his computer in 6 hrs' time, he probably will.

I just sent an email to NYT using Rebel8's suggestion .

$144,000 fee question answered at http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/watchtower/child-abuse/213760/1/Can-Anyone-Verify-Steven-Unthank-is-a-Real-Person

Offences and Penalties: Employers, Volunteer Organisations and Agencies


Penalty for a corporate body is $143,352. Mere coincidence.

~Sue

For the hundreds of thousands who have been mistreated and hurt by the Organization, maybe the WTBTS may soon find out what a can of 'Whoop Ass' tastes like!

Thanks for clarifying Barbara.

I see a lot of procedural problems or issues. This is funny: Is the faithful and discreet slave actually named? Australia will claim jurisdiction over heaven?

I must read this when I have more time. Jurisdiction beyond national borders is very controversial. It has happened.

I find it remarkable that the WT can register as a ngo with the UN, after my years of UN being worse than anyone, but not obey a simple pedophile law in Australia, a western democracy. I find it arrogant.

If you want the NYT, I've been able to ask for specific reporters through their switchboard. There must be someone covering religion and the Catholic Church beat who wants to expand. Of course, I haven't called in about ten years.

Since we are talking NYT, has anyone ever tried to reach the NY tabloids, Daily News and Daily Post, maybe the Latino one, too? I can see the racy headlines.

Jurisdiction beyond national borders is very controversial.

I don't think SU is suing the American WTS. He is suing the Australian branch of the WTS.

I think. This whole thing is very confusing. It'd be good if SU could just come out and say straight forwardly exactly what he is doing and why.

Please refer to the Posting Guidelines regarding "invasion of privacy" - we don't allow the posting of personal telephone numbers for individual members of JWN.

Many members of the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and their families, are now demanding the immediate resignation or removal of the entire Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the entire Board of Directors of the Watch Tower Society as well as the forming of church-based Judicial Committees in relation to these serious child abuse charges. This has been made even more urgent by the fact that every charge is an indictable criminal offence, with the victim being a child, and every alleged perpetrator being a current church elder holding a position of responsibility within the religion. 

First, good on anyone who has the courage to stand up against a more powerful foe. Having said that, the use of hyperbole -as in the above quote dampens such courage. Which active JWs are demanding the immediate resignation or removal of the enitre GB? Besides, the well-lawyered Aussie Watchtower corporation will champion religious freedoms over 'mere' state laws (I'd like to be proved wrong on this!). 

Keep in mind that, even though the Watchtower Society likes to be seen as law-abiding, it will fight tooth and nail a private citizen's attempt to call upon it to 'compromise' its putative adherence to biblical principles. I also get the impression from reading Mr Unthank's documents that he sometimes comes across as unfortunately unbalanced in his comments and conclusions. It's not so much that I don't want him to succeed - I do. But his rhetoric keeps getting in the way. If and when this case actually progresses to the Watchtower appearing in the Victorian court with their lawyers, it will be a hard choice deciding which one is the more bizarre in their communcation streams: The Watchtower and Mr Unthank? But hands down, Mr Unthank could be called the more courageous one of the two. I'll stay tuned. 

Broken Promises: SU is not suing anybody. He filed criminal charges against three WT corporations, their directors, and the body that WT claims rules them all--the FDS through the GB, for non-compliance of a state law that has considerable penalties for not obeying.

The corporation that directs the two Australian WT corporations that are being charged is the American Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania and it is being criminally charged too because it is the authority where the "buck stops" when it comes to the Australian WT corporations not obeying "the superior authorities," in this case, Victoria, Australia, Working With Children Act.

Hope this helps.

The "real" Barbara

Thank you Barb! keep us posted if you can.

I guess at the end of the day, we need to wait till the September court appearances are over to see what goes down or not.

Perhaps Mr Unthank is taking a wise course of saying nothing on discussion boards in case comments made by him can be misused in court. There is good reason people say 'no comment' at times.

Sydney Bethel will be monitoring sites looking for him you know...I imagine he has to think hard about what he puts in writing.

Hi Vincent...

oz

What I would give to be a fly on the wall on Sept 13th in that court room.

Thanks Barb x Good luck SU x