JW Community Podcast

In this podcast we hear from Lara and Rita, who attended The National Apology given by the Australian Government to all child abuse survivors in Australia. Rita tells her personal and harrowing account of how her family were treated by the elders when she revealed her child had been abused by a member of their congregation, and then how she was treated by the police as a comparison. Lara explains how Eddie Puric, Steven Unthank and she talked to the past, present and possibly future Prime Minister of Australia and told them about the child abuse problem among Jehovahs Witnesses.

In this episode I interview Ruben Ortiz, the founder of one of the biggest ex JW support groups on Facebook. Ruben talks about his life as a Jehovahs Witness, and the two words that woke him. He also discusses the joys and trials of running a support group of over 12000 members.

In this episode, Lara and I interview the most interesting Norweigan Goat Farmer you have ever met. Listen to Jonas talk about how he was counselled for doing too much field service, how he supported his wife through a terrible illness, while the elders counselled his wife to leave him and how he woke up due, in part, to the fact that some mountains are flat. Jonas is now part of a group organising a protest on the 25th March 2019 outside a court in Stockholm, because the Watchtower videos have been rated as unsuitable for children in Sweden, and any elder showing them in a Kingdom Hall could receive 2 years in prison. If you are at all able, please join Jonas in his peaceful protest outside the courthouse trying an edler for showing unsuitable material to children inside a Kingdom Hall. Jonas can be contacted via Facebook, Plat Jonas, or via his Youtube channel, Goatlike Personality: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP0Skh44p2zLjnVeB6rcTkQ/videos The video giving information about the protest can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfmUB-XRdrg

The final podcast of season 6 gives the last word to Andrew Mogford, an ex Jehovah's Witness diagnosed with terminal mouth and throat cancer, and having only days to live from the recording of this podcast on 13th February 2019. Andrew bravely spoke out against the practice of shunning despite not being disfellowshipped or shunned himself. Because of his cancer, the recording is sometimes difficult to listen to, but please have the patience to afford Andrew the respect he deserves for remaining so positive in the face of his own terminal cancer. Read about Andrew here: https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/hold-dying-devon-businessman-uses-2497270 Watch Andrew's videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0qNlf466Ko

In this eposide I interview two lawyers experienced in bringing civil cases against organisations who are vicariously liable for sexual abuse suffered by children. One of only three law firms in the country who have worked on behalf of victims of Jehovahs Witness child sexual abusers, Hugh James is a law firm with offices in London and Cardiff. Alan Collins and Samuel Barker have thoroughly researched the issues of Watchtower Society and understand the unique factors that make it hard for former members of Jehovah's Witnesses to disclose their abuse. They explain how Watchtower can be held liable in court for the child sexual abuse, and why bringing a civil case against the organisation is just as important as bringing a criminal case against the abuser. If you wish to talk to Alan or Samuel about a possible case they will travel to you, or meet you wherever you feel most able to talk comfortably. Hugh James website: https://www.hughjames.com/ Alan Collins can be reached here: https://www.hughjames.com/person/alan-collins-sexual-abuse-solicitor/ Samuel Barker can be reached here: https://www.hughjames.com/person/samuel-barker/ If you wish to be part of a submission to IICSA and have a specific greivance that you are willing to add in confidence to the submission please contact me via Facebook or email me at lougoode@hotmail.com (DO NOT give me details of your submission, I will pass your name on to Samuel who put together the submission).