(Philadelphia) A Pennsylvania grand jury investigating child sexual abuse in the Jehovah’s Witnesses community has indicted five other people for raping or molesting children as young as 4 years old. These are the latest developments in an ongoing investigation that has identified 14 suspects.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said at a Friday press conference that although the assaults date back years, if not decades, “the trauma lingers for these victims.”
Mme Henry did not address the group’s handling of complaints, but said the investigation would continue.
PHOTO MATT SLOCUM, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry
Critics say Jehovah’s Witness elders have treated child molestation as a sin rather than a crime, filing complaints in internal files but failing to report them to authorities. They also claim that the group often requires a second witness to substantiate a complaint, a standard that can prove impossible to meet when perpetrators of assaults often isolate their victims.
Group spokesman Jarrod Lopes disputed those findings, saying elders follow reporting requirements and that members are also free to report sexual assaults to authorities. He also said that the second witness rule only applied to the internal discipline of the group. Mr. Lopes did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The grand jury investigation into Jehovah’s Witnesses began with a referral from a county attorney who felt the state needed to take a closer look at the matter. Dozens of witnesses later testified before the secret grand jury in Harrisburg or provided information to the attorney general’s office.
In the charges announced on Friday, Mr Henry said men had approached the children through the group, sometimes when the child’s family welcomed the person into their home. One person said he was raped 50 or more times between the ages of 7 and 12 by a member of the Witnesses who was 18 when the assaults began. Other people have been accused of inappropriate touching, which is less serious.
Four of the five suspects are in custody and their bail has been set, while the other person is wanted. One of the first nine defendants committed suicide before being arrested.
Jehovah’s Witnesses, an international Christian denomination founded in the Pittsburgh area more than a century ago and headquartered in New York State, claim 8.7 million members worldwide, including 1 .2 million in the United States.
Believers are known for their evangelistic efforts, including knocking on doors and distributing literature in public spaces.