Jehovah's Witnesses : case study Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry
Contributor(s): New Zealand. Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry
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Material type: 
BookPublisher: Wellington, New Zealand : Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, 2024Description: electronic document (64 pages) ; PDF, DOCX & HTML files.Subject(s): Jehovah's Witnesses | New Zealand. Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry | ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES | ADULT SURVIVORS OF CHILD ABUSE | ADULT SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE | CHILD ABUSE | CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE | CHRISTIAN FAITH | INSTITUTIONAL ABUSE | PERPETRATORS | RELIGION | VICTIM/SURVIVORS' VOICES | YOUNG PEOPLE | Case studies: Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry | NEW ZEALANDOnline resources: Download report, PDF | Download report, Word DOCX | Read online | Access related Case studies | He Take Rangahau Summary: The Jehovah’s Witnesses have been active in Aotearoa New Zealand for over 100 years, with the movement growing significantly just prior to the Inquiry period. The Christian faith takes a literal interpretation of the Bible and relies on first century principles to set practice, policy and procedure.
Like many faiths there is a leadership hierarchy, with the Jehovah’s Witnesses being globally led by a governing body, which provides direction and guidance to all congregations. The governing body is currently comprised of eight men in New York. Within congregations, power and authority sit with male Elders whose attributes for appointment are biblically based. During the Inquiry period, the faith exercised an elevated degree of influence over the daily lives of members, including how they spent significant portions of their time, the level of education they attained, their relationships and access to certain medical treatments. Two witnesses described themselves as being under the ‘control’ of the faith, a description the faith disputed.
Children and young people were in the care of the Jehovah’s Witnesses during faith activities including door to door preaching or witnessing, pastoral support, working bees and other organised activities, and investigation and judicial committee processes. The faith contested whether these situations fell within the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, but the Inquiry is satisfied that children and young people were in the care of the faith in these situations for the reasons set out below (From the website).
This is one of the case studies published by the Royal Commission throughout the course of the Inquiry, which investigate abuse and neglect in a number of State and faith-based institutions across Aotearoa New Zealand. There are seven case studies in all. (From the website).
Record #8821
Presented to the Governor-General by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions, June 2024
Released, 24 July 2024, along with Whanaketia, the final report
The Jehovah’s Witnesses have been active in Aotearoa New Zealand for over 100 years, with the movement growing significantly just prior to the Inquiry period. The Christian faith takes a literal interpretation of the Bible and relies on first century principles to set practice, policy and procedure.
Like many faiths there is a leadership hierarchy, with the Jehovah’s Witnesses being globally led by a governing body, which provides direction and guidance to all congregations. The governing body is currently comprised of eight men in New York. Within congregations, power and authority sit with male Elders whose attributes for appointment are biblically based. During the Inquiry period, the faith exercised an elevated degree of influence over the daily lives of members, including how they spent significant portions of their time, the level of education they attained, their relationships and access to certain medical treatments. Two witnesses described themselves as being under the ‘control’ of the faith, a description the faith disputed.
Children and young people were in the care of the Jehovah’s Witnesses during faith activities including door to door preaching or witnessing, pastoral support, working bees and other organised activities, and investigation and judicial committee processes. The faith contested whether these situations fell within the Inquiry’s Terms of Reference, but the Inquiry is satisfied that children and young people were in the care of the faith in these situations for the reasons set out below (From the website).
This is one of the case studies published by the Royal Commission throughout the course of the Inquiry, which investigate abuse and neglect in a number of State and faith-based institutions across Aotearoa New Zealand. There are seven case studies in all. (From the website).
Record #8821
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