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U.S. NEWS Friday 28 September 2018
Jury: Jehovah's Witnesses must

pay $35M to abuse survivor

By MATT VOLZ The case that prompted lion for her injuries, plus $30
Associated Press Wednesday's ruling in- million in punitive damages
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The volved two women, now 32 against Watchtower and
Jehovah's Witnesses must and 21, who allege a fam- $1 million in punitive dam-
pay $35 million to a wom- ily member sexually abused ages against the Christian
an who says the church's them and a third family Congregation of Jehovah's
national organization or- member in Thompson Falls Witnesses, another Jeho-
dered Montana clergy in the 1990s and 2000s. vah's Witness corporation
members not to report her The women say they re- that communicates with
sexual abuse as a child at ported the abuse to church congregations across the In this Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, file photo, the iconic Watch-
tower sign is seen on the roof of 25-30 Columbia Heights, then
the hands of a congrega- elders, who handled the U.S. world headquarters of the Jehovah's Witnesses, in the Brooklyn
tion member, a jury ruled in matter internally after con- The monetary award must borough of New York.
a verdict. sulting with the national or- be reviewed by the trial Associated Press
A judge must review the ganization. judge and could be re-
penalty, and the Jehovah's The elders expelled the duced. A Montana law that the church should therefore did not have a
Witnesses' national organi- abuser from the congrega- caps punitive damage have reported the sec- duty to tell authorities.
zation — Watchtower Bible tion in 2004 then reinstated awards at 3 percent of a ond woman's abuse by The third family member
and Tract Society of New him the next year, the law- company's net worth or $10 the same congregation who claimed abuse was
York — plans to appeal. suit states, and the abuse million, whichever is less. A member. Jurors concluded not a plaintiff in the lawsuit.
Still, the 21-year-old wom- of the girl who is now 21 legal challenge to that law church elders did not re- The Associated Press gener-
an's attorneys say Wednes- continued. is pending before the Mon- ceive notice of the 32-year- ally does not name people
day's verdict sends a mes- The lawsuit claimed the lo- tana Supreme Court. old woman's abuse in 1998 who say they are a victim
sage to the church to re- cal and national Jehovah's The jury dismissed claims as she said they did, and of a sex crime.q
port child abuse to outside Witnesses organizations
authorities. were negligent and violat-
"Hopefully that message is ed a Montana law that re-
loud enough that this will quires them to report abuse
cause the organization to outside authorities.
to change its priorities in "Their national headquar-
a way that they will begin ters, called Watchtower,
prioritizing the safety of chil- they control when and if
dren so that other children anyone within their organi-
aren't abused in the future," zation reports child abuse,"
attorney Neil Smith said Smith said. "Watchtower in-
Thursday.The Office of Pub- structed everyone involved
lic Information at the World that they were not to report
Headquarters of Jehovah's the matter to authorities."
Witnesses responded to the Attorneys for the Jehovah's
verdict with an unsigned Witnesses said in court fil-
statement. ings that Montana law ex-
"Jehovah's Witnesses abhor empts elders from reporting
child abuse and strive to "internal ecclesiastical pro-
protect children from such ceedings on a congrega-
acts. Watchtower is pur- tion member's serious sin."
suing appellate review," it The church also contend-
said. ed that the national orga-
The Montana case is one nization isn't liable for the
of dozens that have been actions by Thompson Falls
filed nationwide over the elders, and that too much
past decade alleging Je- time has passed for the
hovah's Witnesses misman- women to sue.
aged or covered up the The jury awarded the
sexual abuse of children. 21-year-old woman $4 mil-