Man Sues Jehovah’s Witnesses Groups, Alleging Elder Sexually Abused Him as a Child

A 26-year-old man, Kevin Ramirez, is suing several Jehovah’s Witnesses organizations in Los Angeles Superior Court. He alleges that an adult elder in his congregation sexually abused him when he was 6 to 8 years old. The complaint identifies the alleged abuser only as Humberto. These are allegations in a civil lawsuit, and no criminal charges or court findings are reported in the source material.

Ramirez maintains in the suit that Humberto used his position in the church to ingratiate himself with the plaintiff’s family, which the complaint says enabled the alleged molestation between 1999 and 2001. The suit alleges that Humberto “used his position to molest multiple boys in (the) congregation” and that he molested the plaintiff “on numerous occasions, including during and after church events such as field service, bible study and during a Jehovah’s Witness Assembly.”

The lawsuit, filed Thursday, alleges sexual battery, sexual harassment and negligence, and seeks unspecified damages. It names as defendants the San Dimas Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York Inc., the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses Inc., and the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses released a statement Tuesday regarding the suit. It said, “Out of respect for the judicial process and the privacy of those involved, Watchtower does not comment on the details of pending litigation.” The statement also said, “we despise child abuse in any form,” expressed sympathy for anyone harmed by child sexual abuse, and stated that Watchtower’s publications have addressed the topic “with a view to equipping parents to protect their children.” It added that the organization’s practice is “to always follow the law” and that it supports the efforts of congregation elders to do the same.

According to the suit, Humberto told the plaintiff that he “would not be accepted into paradise if he did not allow the molestations to occur.” The suit presents this as an allegation of what the alleged abuser said.

After Ramirez confided in his parents, they reported the alleged abuses to church elders in 2001, the suit states. The suit alleges that the elders failed to report what they were told to the police and discouraged both the plaintiff and his parents from reporting the matter themselves. The complaint’s account of those reports, which the suit presents as a call to protect the vulnerable, is a matter of the plaintiff’s allegations (Psalm 82:3).

The suit also alleges that before Humberto allegedly molested Ramirez, the plaintiff’s father spoke with a church official known as a ministerial servant. According to the suit, that official “obliquely warned plaintiff’s father to watch out for Humberto.”

Source: Read the original report