Pedophiles Permitted Among Jehovah’s Witnesses In Denmark

Supervision case imminent

Ekstra Bladet’s revelations have led to the church minister Morten Dahlin having initiated a supervisory case against the religious community to investigate whether the principles of religion are contrary to Danish law and thus contrary to being a recognized religious community.

Ekstra Bladet has spoken to several leading experts who believe that Jehovah’s Witnesses are in violation of Danish law.

Among other things, because of the principle of exclusion, which according to the expert corresponds to psychological violence and thus violates the Danish legislation.

In addition, a previous witness has told that she was advised not to contact the authorities when, by her own admission, she was subjected to violence by her husband.

‘Biblically defensible’
One of the stories in Jehovah’s Witnesses’ response to the Church Ministry concerns an adult who has a ‘sexual relationship’ with a minor girl.

The report was written by an anonymous coordinator in Jehovah’s Witnesses.

According to the coordinator, a minor girl in the congregation has told her father that she had a ‘sexual relationship’ with one of the other witnesses. Subsequently, the coordinator allegedly contacted the member, who admitted blankly that he had a relationship with the minor girl.

The witness went to the police himself, and after that, the elder council had to decide whether the member should be allowed to remain part of the congregation despite his sexual relationship with the minor.

“We had a religious treatment of the case with the culprit to determine whether he could remain as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The elders’ assessment from the Bible was that the culprit could continue as a Jehovah’s Witness,” the letter to the Church Ministry said.

The man, who had confessed to a sexual relationship with a minor, escaped without consequences, and could continue as if nothing had happened.

Protect your children
Jehovah’s Witnesses want to prove that their child protection policy aligns with Danish law.

Therefore, all the stories also contain stories of abuse against children, which according to them have been handled by the book.

However, parents apparently have to accept that people who have assaulted children can still be part of their congregation despite their deeds.

The parents in the congregations, where the pedophiles still find themselves, are asked to teach their children how to protect themselves from those who do ‘ugly things to children.’

According to the reports, it is, among other things, with the help of the cartoon ‘Protect your children’ on the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own website.

The cartoon is part of a cartoon series that children’s psychologist Ulla Dyrløv has previously criticized in Ekstra Bladet.

The acclaimed child psychologist called the cartoons deeply troubling and on the verge of psychological violence’.

Pedophile in the Congregation

Excerpts from one of the reports in the letter to the ministry:

“The talk was about us, as parents, knowing that in our congregation there was a person who was mentioned by name previously convicted by the public authorities for the sexual violation of a minor.

In the talk it was mentioned that we should not leave our children alone with the person. Furthermore, we had to pay attention to our children when the person was present in the Kingdom Hall.

We didn’t tell our children that there was a person in the congregation they had to avoid, but how they should generally pay attention if someone tried to hurt them.”

Response from Jehovah’s Witnesses
Ekstra Bladet has asked Jehovah’s Witnesses a number of questions as a result of their letter to the Church Ministry.

Jehovah’s Witnesses do not wish to comment on the individual accounts that they themselves submitted to the Church Ministry.

How is it that convicted sex offenders can continue to be a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Why can pedophilia be forgiven, while porn and immoral behaviour are considered to be the reason for exclusion?

“Jehovah’s Witnesses regard child sexual abuse as a crime and a serious sin.”

“The question of whether a person can become or remain one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is solely a religious issue. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not automatically remove someone who breaks the Bible’s moral code, from the congregation,” Jørgen Pedersen, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses in Scandinavia, wrote.

Moved to Neighborhood

In one of the accounts, an elder describes that a convicted pedophile, became subject to some religious restrictions but not excluded. The convicted criminal simply moved to another congregation.

Not one word about violence

The ongoing supervisory case against Jehovah’s Witnesses has started on the basis of several articles in Ekstra Bladet.

Here a woman came forward and told about physical violence from her then husband in Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to the woman, she was advised not to go to police when she told the elders about the violence.

In Jehovah’s Witnesses’ response to the Church Ministry, however, they do not mention anything about their handling of spousal abuse. They, on the other hand, have a sharp focus on their handling of child sexual abuse.

Ekstra Bladet has also published several articles dealing with psychological violence in the organization. That criticism also does not mention Jehovah’s Witnesses in their response to the Church Department.

The overhaul has been ongoing since September 2024 and with over 200 pages of material from Jehovah’s Witnesses, the ministry has enough to throw itself at, and the case has continued to be pending.

Ekstra Bladet is continuing to follow the case.

Read a larger sample of the 12 reports here.