22 October 2023
Five years ago, on 22 October 2018, the Australian Government issued a formal apology to all victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, including those from within the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution. Incorporated into the apology were the words ‘we say sorry’.
“We say sorry. To the children we failed, sorry.” – The Hon Scott Morrison MP, Prime Minister of Australia (National Apology Address, 22 October 2018)
LINK | National Apology Address
LINK | Original Say Sorry article on the National Apology
Tributes Tributes were also made during the National Apology to all institutional victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, many of whom bravely shared their stories to the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, with the aim of ensuring the shameful practices are never repeated.
LINK | 44 Stories of Child Sexual Abuse within Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia
Among the 400 victims and survivors, that were invited on 22 October 2018 to attend the Grand Hall in Parliament House for the apology, were several survivors from the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They were supported by a group of former Jehovah’s Witnesses who were in attendance in the Theatrette, and outside in Federation Mall.
Saying Sorry Should victims and survivors of institutional child sexual abuse from within the Jehovah’s Witnesses receive an apology? Absolutely yes!
On this matter the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have been repeatedly asked to apologise. They have refused, opting instead to religiously attack and persecute the child abuse survivors.
Shortly after attending the National Apology in 2018, two survivors of institutional child sexual abuse from within the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lara Kaput and Steven Unthank, sat down with author and humanist, Babu Gogineni, for an extended interview. The video has been published to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the National Apology, 2018-2023.
We encourage you to listen to their heart-wrenching story, in their own words.
Jehovah’s Shame The National Apology, delivered by the Leaders of the Australian Parliament, followed individual apologies made to child abuse victims by religious leaders and other institutions throughout Australia.
Notably silent were the governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have continued to maintain their silence since publicly branding, in 2015, all allegations of child abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses institution as “apostate-driven lies“. This slanderous false statement was made within weeks of the religion being formally served notice of the impending Case Study 29 into Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Sadly, both the corporate and religious leaders of Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to publicly deny the existence of a single act of institutional child sexual abuse within the religion.
Say Sorry
Fonte: saysorry.org/2023/10/2… #jw #jworg #tj #jehovahswitnesses #testemunhasdejeova
