Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse
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Author: Kathryn Kosmides
Survivor Advocate
Key Takeaways
- Over the last few years, individuals have started to come forward to help in criminal investigations against individual perpetrators and to file civil lawsuits against the Jehovah’s Witness to help seek justice and accountability for survivors who were often children when the abuse occurred.
- With these survivors coming forward, dozens of individuals within the Jehovah’s Witnesses have faced criminal charges and victims have received millions of dollars in compensation for the harm they endured.
- If you or someone you know experienced sexual abuse by a leader or member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you have legal rights and options even if the harm happened years ago. We can help you understand them and connect you with an experienced Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse lawyer for free today.
Jehovah's Witness Overview
There are over 8 million Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world with its founding dating back to the 1870s in the United States.
There are many rules and doctrines within the Jehovah’s Witnesses – and these rules create a very isolated experience for their members. For example, they generally do not believe in mixing religions – meaning those within the religious organization generally can only marry others within the group. Additionally, they believe in shunning members if they engaged in disobedient behavior which can range from receiving a blood tranfusion, smoking, or sexual misconduct.
In regards to sexual misconduct within the Jehovah’s Witnesses, they believe in a “two-witness rule” which requires sexual abuse to be substantiated by secondary evidence if the individual accused denies any wrongdoing. This means that another individual must be witness to the sexual abuse beyond the victim and the perpetrator – which is generally does not happen. This rule has left victims of sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses little reason to report or come forward as they may be shunned for coming forward.
The religious organization only allows men to hold positions of authority and women are not generally allowed to address the congregation directly.
Over the years, the group has faced scrutiny for its views on sexual assault and its coverups of sexual abuse by religious leaders within the movement.
The organization’s core beliefs, closed-off culture, and “two-witness rule” have hindered victims from seeking help. At Helping Survivors, we believe individuals impacted by sexual abuse deserve to know their rights and options so they can make informed decisions as they move forward.
Examples of Sexual Abuse Within Jehovah's Witneses
Sexual abuse can take many forms – and those who experience it, especially if they are children, may not recognize or label these experiences until years later. A majority of sexual abuse, especially against children, begins with sexual grooming – which is when a perpetrator builds a relationship with a potential victim to gain their trust to then sexually abuse and exploit them. They then engage in manipulation tactics that make the victim have fear, shame, and guilt about the experience(s) and thus the child does not report or tell anyone.
If you or someone you know experienced any of these forms of sexual abuse, you have rights and options to seek help and healing:
- Molestation (inappropriate touching of intimate areas)
- Indecent exposure
- Voyeurism (being watched or recorded in intimate moments including undressing, bathing, or sexual acts)
- Sexual assault (including unwanted touching, forced touching of others, unwanted oral acts, and other forms of sexual abuse)
- Rape (penetrative sexual assault)
The legal systems, including both criminal and civil courts, are now taking Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse cases more seriously. One of the biggest factors in the ability for the state to press criminal charges or for an individual to file a civil lawsuit are the statute of limitations – which vary across each jurisdiction and between civil and criminal court. However, many states where the religion is popular including Maryland and Pennsylvania have extended or eliminated their statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse.
This gives our team at Helping Survivors hope that more individuals will come forward and gain assistance to help them on their healing journey.
Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse in the News
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the Jehovah’s Witnesses parent organization, has faced mounting criticism for their handling of sexual abuse cases. Victims within the organization are generally required to report abuse directly to the WBTS – instead of to the authorities. If they report to law enforcement rather than the WBTS they could face severe repercussions.
The closed-off culture and rules have hisotrically made it difficult for victims to seek help and justice. While the organization has made some policy changes in response to public pressure, cases of sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witness organization continue to be an ongoing issue.
Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse in the Media
Over the years, there have been reports in the mainstream media of sexual abuse occurring within the Jehovah’s Witnesses – including by top clergy members. Media reports of sexual abuse within the organization include:
- Ernest Fyans: A former Jehovah’s Witness elder in northern Maine was convicted for sexually abusing at least two minors in the early 1990s.
- Norman Aviles-Garriga: A former Jehovah’s Witness elder in Lancaster County, was found guilty of 12 criminal charges related to sexually abusing three children over 20 years ago in July 2024.
- Luis Manuel Ayala-Velasquez will serve between 14 to 46 years in prison as part of the Attorney General’s ongoing investigation into sexual abuse within the Jehovah Witnesses in Pennsylvania.
- David Balosa, Errol William Hall, Ronald W. Mangone, Roger E. Zellars, Shaun Sheffer & Terry Booth: These individuals were also arrested as part of Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Harry’s investigation. If you were sexually abused by any of the individuals above, you should reach out to their office.
These are just some of the recent criminal charges against high-ranked members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There have been reports covering the sexual abuse within the Jehovah’s Witnesses by Vice, The Associated Press, CNN, and more over the last few years.
Rights & Options for Those Impacted
If you experienced sexual abuse by another member or leader of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, you have legal rights and options you may not know about.
If you recently experienced sexual abuse by a member of the church, your safety is the most important thing. You may not feel safe given the proximity of the perpetrator to you and your family or you may fear being shunned or facing repercussions, especially if you are still a minor. We recommend writing down everything that happened and telling a trusted adult as soon as possible. A trusted adult may include your guardian/parents, a teacher if you attend a public school, or calling 911 to report the abuse.
In general, your legal rights and options include:
- Reporting to law enforcement
- Filing a civil lawsuit
While the leadership encourages reporting the harm to them, time and time again members who have spoken out have said they reported to leadership and because of their views, the “two-witness rule”, and their desire to protect the organization the only outcome that happened was additional harm or shunning happening to the individual or family who came forward to report the abuse.
We will discuss both filing a report with law enforcement and filing a civil lawsuit for Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse below.
Filing a Police Report for Jehovah's Witness Sexual Abuse
If you recently experienced sexual abuse by a member of the church, your safety is the most important factor. Make sure you are physically safe and there are limited chances of retaliation by the perpetrator.
Unfortunately, a majority of those who experience abuse within the religion do not come forward for several years after the abuse.
Regardless of when the abuse occurred, you have a right to file a police report with law enforcement. This generally must be done in-person at the local police precinct in the jurisdiction the harm happened in. You may be able to file a report online or call the precinct to schedule a time to come into the precinct and speak with an officer trained in gender-based violence.
It is a common misconception that an individual can press charges against someone else. This is not true – although you do have the righ to file a police report.
After you file a report, an investigation will happen based on the applicable laws, including the criminal statute of limitations, and the available police resources to investigate. While sexual assault cases are unfortunately generally not prosecuted, reports made against clergy members against children are generally taken seriously by law enforcement.
Even if years have passed, we encourage you to file police report if you feel safe doing so.
If you have questions about this process, contact us and we’ll be here to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.
File a Civil Lawsuit for Sexual Abuse
If you experienced sexual abuse by a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and reported the abuse to the organization you may be able to file a civil lawsuit against the perpetrator and the religious institution itself.
Even if you did not report the abuse at the time, you may still have a right to file a sexual abuse lawsuit against the Jehovah’s Witness organization.
Dozens of sexual abuse within the church have already come forwarded and filed sexual abuse lawsuits. These lawsuits enable individuals to seek monetary compensation for the harm they suffered. These funds can help you seek mental health support, cover medical expenses, and help you move forward in your life.
We understand the difficulties members or former members may face in coming forward and in filing a lawsuit against the organization. You can reach out to us at Helping Survivors and we can answer your questions and address any concerns you have.
We can also connect you with an experienced Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse attorney who can provide a free consultation to evaluate if you have a case, what the process may look like, and the potential outcomes of a civil lawsuit including a settlement amount.
Additionally, every law firm Helping Survivors works with takes these types of cases on contingency – meaning you do not have to pay any upfront costs and the law firm is only compensated if and when they win the case for you.
An experienced Jehovah’s witness sexual abuse lawyer can help you with:
- Gathering and documenting evidence of the assault
- Reporting the incident to law enforcement, if this has not yet been done
- Filing a sexual assault lawsuit against the perpetrator and/or the Jehovah’s Witness organization
- Handling all communications with the organization, their attorneys, and the courts
- The deposition process, which is a legal process to gather testimony for the case under oath
- Negotiating with company representatives for a possible settlement
- Filing the claim under seal or as a “Jane/John Doe” to help protect your information as applicable by laws
- Representing you in all court appearances related to the case
Victims of sexual abuse may be eligible for various types of compensation within a Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse lawsuit:
- Medical expenses for past and future treatments related to the abuse
- Counseling and therapy costs to address emotional trauma
- Lost wages when the abuse leads to the inability to work or reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering caused by the emotional and physical trauma
- Punitive damages that punish the abuser for their actions
You are under no obligation to pursue a case if you reach out to request more information about this process. We understand how big of a decision this may be and are here to help you understand your rights, options, and the applicable processes in a trauma-informed way so you can take the next best step for you.
Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
Against Jehovah's Witnesses
Legal action against the WBTS has continued to escalate as impacted individuals have continued to file lawsuits against the organization.
In 2018, a victim won a $35 million verdict in Montana against the Jehovah’s Witnesses for them not reporting abuse to the authorities. However, the church successfully appealed, arguing that the elders were exempt from reporting incidents.
In March 2023, a woman settled her lawsuit against four Jehovah’s Witness elders over their handling of allegations that she was sexually abused as a teen. The details of the confidential settlement were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, in July 2023, a Pennsylvania grand jury charged 14 suspects from a Jehovah’s Witness community with molesting or raping children as young as 4. Even though many of the allegations of abuse are decades old, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry said the victims never forgot their trauma.
Religious institutions infrequently encounter criminal charges in instances of sexual misconduct. But even criminal charges don’t always provide adequate restitution to victims of Jehovah’s Witness sexual abuse.
Civil suits can compensate victims for the profound emotional and psychological repercussions of their abuse. The damages awarded in civil proceedings contribute to a semblance of justice for the victims. Additionally, filing a civil lawsuit can be a public record that can also help document the harm so others feel empowered to come forward.
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