'I was abused by Jehovah's Witnesses elder and I blame religion's rule'

A woman who was sexually abused by an "Elder" in Plymouth's Jehovah's Witness community more than 50 years ago claims the fundamental principles of the religion effectively gave cover for paedophiles and abusers.

The woman cannot be identified for legal reasons but for the sake of this article PlymouthLive is calling her Alison. She now lives thousands of miles away but has chosen to speak out following the jailing of her abuser at Plymouth Crown Court last month.

Edward Pusey, now aged 81 and from Agaton Road, Plymouth, was accused of a number of offences, including indecent assault of a girl aged under 13 and sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13, between February 1969 and February 1976.

He denied the offences but was found guilty at trial and was jailed for 14 years. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders' Register indefinitely.

Alison, now in her 60s, contacted PlymouthLive following our initial report, saying that she strongly felt the offences were able to take place in part because of the way the religion was structured, a point noted by Judge Peter Johnson during his sentencing remarks.

She claimed the religion's "two witness rule" stated that if the accused did not confess and if there were not two witnesses to the crime, then victims were, at that time, discouraged from reporting offences to "secular" authorities and instead asked to leave the matter in 'Jehovah's (God's) hands.'

The jury heard how Pusey was deemed an "elder" in the congregation, despite only being in his 20s at the time of the offences, and groomed her during what was supposed to be Bible study classes. She would attend his then home in another part of the city where he played upon her feelings for him and took advantage of her.

He would sexually abuse her under the guise that it involved prayer.

Sentencing Judge told Pusey the harm he caused was 'immeasurable'

Judge Johnson, in his damning sentencing remarks, stated that it was possible Pusey thought that because of the Bible interpretation of the "two witnesses" rule, his abuse was not witnessed by another and so he thought he "could get away with it".

The judge noted how the victim's own mother took a similar stance, telling her daughter that because there was not a second witness, her allegations should be dismissed.

Judge Johnson told the court: "This was in the mid-1970s, and it may have been part of the culture of that particular branch of religion at the time, but one earnestly hopes that there are proper safeguarding arrangements for children in place now."

Alison told PlymouthLive: "I came at this from a very specific perspective. I was raised a Jehovah's Witness. My belief is that the organisation was, and still could be, a dangerous environment, not least to children. The Governing Body (in the US) and Jehovah's Witness authorities preside over and foster a culture for which I think they refuse to accept any responsibility. I feel that came across very clearly in the judge's sentencing remarks [regarding the two witnesses rule].

"The judge said he hoped that things have changed. I don't believe they have. I think Jehovah's Witnesses pay lip service to a safeguarding policy which is ineffective in the face of their teachings and practices".

Judge Johnson told Pusey that Alison's evidence suggested he had struggled to control himself, but he said Pusey did not, adding: "Time after time you succumbed to temptation in the form of lust and sexually abused a child. The harm you caused as a result of your actions is immeasurable."

He noted Alison's victim personal statement which spoke of the impact of Pusey's actions, the affect on her mental health, the financial and emotional harm his actions caused and the impact not just on her, but also on her family which was fractured as a result of her making the allegations.

He told Pusey there was "not a scintilla of remorse" on his part, with him claiming from his first police interview in 2018 through to the trial that her allegations were "an invention" by her because he was "unwilling to engage in some form of intimacy with her when she was but a young child".

Alison told PlymouthLive that at the time her father was a farmer near Plymouth and she would walk across fields to Pusey's home for her Bible classes.

She said: "I remember being nine when the grooming started and 15 when it finished."

She explained that in the Jehovah's Witness religion men were placed in positions of authority. She described it as "patriarchal" and said women had no authority and regular members held elders in high regard.

She said: "When I was raised as a Witness we were discouraged from having worldly associations - so all my friends and relationships were within the Jehovah Witness world. We were not supposed to have school friends. It's an isolationist cult and yet it sits within mainstream society, so they're not as obvious as the Exclusive Brethren or some of what appear to be the more extreme sects.

"The organisation promotes a deep distrust of secular authority. A repeated concern raised by inquiries into the Jehovah's Witness organisation in other countries is the 'two witness rule'.

Alison said the two witness rule was applied to 'congregational discipline'.

She said: "If a member of the congregation brings an accusation, the elders form a judicial committee to hear cases within the religion. If you don't have a second witness then there's no case to answer. I remember trying to tell my mum what was happening and she just got angry at me and said 'where's your second witness'. The judge referenced it in his sentencing comments that Ted probably thought he could probably get away with it.

"He also said he would hope that safeguarding would improve - well I don't think it has."

Alison said a statement in 2017 from an official with the organisation insisted they would "never change" their scriptural position on the subject.

She asked: "What should Jehovah’s Witnesses do if they think someone they know has sexually abused a child, but no one was there to see it? Nothing.

"Other churches have fronted up and said, 'Yes, we haven't done great in the past' when it comes to inquiries into institutional sex abuse. But the Witnesses just keep going with this line that it is not their responsibility, that children are in the care of their parents and they don't condone this behaviour. They just won't accept it - the environment they have created, the authority and regard in which the elders are held in the organisation cannot be over-emphasised. This is why I worry they could still be a danger to children."

Victim said Pusey used her desperation for love

Asked why she went to Ted Pusey's home and continued to go, she explained, "I've not denied the fact that I believed I was in love with him. I was ten."

Looking back she recognises that the infatuation she had with him was picked up on by Pusey who then chose to groom and abuse her. She described herself as an "unlikeable child" desperate for love. She said: "The judge said that Pusey thought he could get away with it for exactly that reason."

She revealed that there was an earlier trial in October 2023, which she attended remotely, and the jury could not reach a decision on verdicts. During the second trial this year she said she felt it was important she attended in person and travelled to the UK.

Alison made her first formal complaint to police in 2018. Having migrated to another country in 2002, she disclosed what had happened to a friend in around 2004. This was the first time since she was a teenager, and had fruitlessly tried to tell her mother, that she had spoken of it.

She said she was led to believe that the Jehovah's Witness country offices kept "secret registers" of accusations and convictions of sexual abuse. She contacted a person she knew well, who was considered a respected Jehovah's Witness, asking if he could find out if there were any other accusations against Pusey and whether he was on that list. Around 2008 Alison said she even went so far as to contact a children's charity in the UK about her concerns regarding Pusey, having heard he had been seen with a young girl on his lap at a congregation meeting hall.

Alison said a police officer she spoke to in Plymouth at that time said the family of the girl had no concerns and, as for her own allegation of rape, she was told it was unlikely to go anywhere as it was so long ago "so I dropped it and got on with my life."

However, she later learned from online reports that people who were members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were being urged to make reports and gather them together so she decided to make formal report. Unfortunately, she claimed the initial police investigation was "appalling" and said she had to repeatedly chase up on the status of the case. Alison remarked that the Crown Prosecution Service appeared to repeatedly change what they required from the investigating officers. Alison said she became so exasperated she eventually made a formal complaint about the CPS's handling of the case and its delay in making a charging decision.

Despite the wait of nine months to get a trial following the eventual charges being laid against Pusey, and despite the hung jury, and another year until the retrial happened, she was still determined to get justice.

Alison said she had since gone back and thanked the investigating officers who were tasked with convicting Pusey, "because there were times when I wanted to give up. At one point I did withdraw my support for the case but was encouraged to continue. Historic sexual abuse is difficult to prosecute and rarely results in conviction. I was pleased for the police investigators as well.

"When the verdict came through I was with friends in the South Hams, We'd gone for a coast walk and were at a little cafe when I got a call saying that the jury had returned a guilty verdict and the judge was going to sentence him straight away. I raced back to my friends' house hoping I wasn't going to lose my phone signal."

Asked what she remembered of Pusey at the time, Alison said: "I feel like such a fool, because he was a creep, he was always such a creep and I said it while I was being cross examined. He was in his late 20s, tall with red hair. It's his hands I remember. He was well groomed. Jehovah's Witnesses are always well groomed. When I was a Witness men were not allowed to have beards, women were not allowed to wear trousers to meetings."

Alison said she was effectively thrown out of her home in her late teens and, because of the isolation created by the religion she "lost everybody and everything. I had no friends and no support."

"They warp what love is. My mum still believes that shunning me is an act of love because she thinks it will bring me back to Jehovah.

"Elders had a lot of status in the congregation and I think that's still the case. It certainly was when I was growing up.

Elders were chosen as they were 'men of good standing'

Asked how people were appointed elders, she remarked ironically that they were deemed to be "men of good standing" by others in the congregation and were appointed to hold positions of leadership over that congregation. She said the elders referred to a "secret" manual called "Shepherd the Flock of God" which gave instructions on their roles, responsibilities and how to deal with matters, but added wryly that the internet had "blown that out of the water because ex-Jehovah Witnesses get hold of it and published it online, which they really don't like."

She added: "Within their own community they're told not to do any research online. They don't question. They don't challenge. It's high control, cognitive dissonance, this is how you should think. But they do it in a really insidious way.

"For example, when I was growing up I believed Armageddon was coming in 1975. They are a doomsday cult. I can remember saying to a schoolfriend of mine - because we weren't allowed to celebrate birthdays or anything and I hadn't given her a birthday present - that she was going to be dead by the time she was 12, because that was what I was brought up to believe. Armageddon was coming in 1975 and anyone who wasn't a Witness was going to die. The organisation now says 'we never said that' but I remember Watchtower articles [the Jehovah's Witness magazine] where they did say it, at the very least by implication. 'Millions now living will never die' was a book they published in 1920.

"I remember reading that 'the definition of a cult is what happens when you leave'. If you leave you are shunned. You are considered dead."

Alison explained that the decision to shun was made by "the elders" - noting that her own abuser, Pusey, was also an elder who had grievously abused the trust conferred upon him.

She said: "They arrange a meeting with you, confirm that you have committed a sin warranting, by Jehovah's Witness standards, 'disfellowshipping'. Then an announcement is made at your local congregation."

As for Pusey she believes he was granted the powerful status by the 'body of elders' within the congregation in Plymouth. Alison said that as far as she was aware Pusey only had the privileged status of elder removed from him after he was arrested, noting that he retained that power from the end of the abuse in the mid 1970s until just a few years ago.

Asked about the process by which she was shunned, she said she remembered two elders coming to visit her at her home in Plymouth and she was 'disfellowshipped for apostasy' because she had started going to an Anglican youth group with a former school friend "and as far as they're concerned that was turning my back on the 'Truth'. That's what they call it - The Truth.

"I remember once, talking to my mum, that her own magazine said 'no-one should be forced to choose between their family and their religion'. And she said that was about people becoming Jehovah's Witnesses, explaining that 'their family shouldn't stop them'.

"That's the way they think - it's made it possible for me to understand Donald Trump because I look at him and I think 'that's exactly what it's like trying to reason with Jehovah's Witnesses... you just can't."

"I was told to leave home at 19 and got away with not being disfellowshipped until I was in my early 20s.

"When I first disclosed the abuse my mental health took a severe nose dive and I was suicidal and I was sectioned and that probably went on for around 10 years. I've been stable for around ten years now but I went through various times when I tried to forget my past, I got records together and burned them, the letters I'd been written when I was disfellowshipped and that kind of thing. I burned it all.

"I know that when I started making inquiries about Ted Pusey's record, I think the elders formed a judicial committee and spoke to him. They didn't tell me this and I didn't want him to know I was asking questions. A lawyer who I spoke to in London asked if I thought I was his only victim. I think that is highly unlikely.

Did Pusey target other vulnerable girls?

"I was keen to publicise my case to encourage others to come forward," Alison said. There is one other person I think may have been a victim, but she's a very vulnerable person and is still a Jehovah's Witness."

Asked why she thought Pusey chose to target her, she considered her childhood, admitting that she and her mother "never got on" and claimed she "never showed her much love".

Alison said: "I was a needy child. I thought I was a bad person. That was the overwhelming feeling. I can remember at the trial the defence barrister saying something like 'oh, so you mean to tell us these terrible things were happening and you never said anything to anyone?' And I didn't think they were terrible things - I thought I was a terrible person.

"Even as an adult I've always felt like a bad person, I joke that my role in life is to serve as a warning to others. People have asked me 'you must be celebrating?'. No, but the conviction has given me the sense that something has lifted, that I have a right to feel how I feel about things.

"I've always felt like a terrible person and I've read lots of stories about victims and the recurring theme is the shame. It doesn't matter how much people tell you 'it wasn't your fault' - that's just how you feel. You feel shame. It was my fault - that's how he made me feel, that it was my fault, that I was doing this to him.

"I appreciate that there's nothing novel or unusual in what happened to me, in the wider sense, but I do think there's a specific concern around the Witnesses and there arewell-meaning reporters in the UK who have picked it up and even an MP at one point. Efforts have been made to have the Jehovah's Witnesses removed from the charity's register, but I don't think that's been successful.

"I think people view the Jehovah's Witnesses as well meaning, sweet old ladies who stand on the street corner and are harmless. My belief is that the organisation is not harmless.

"There are cases of victims staying in the same congregation as their abuser and they are themselves disfellowshipped because they can no longer tolerate having to forgive them if they are judged to be repentant, or because there's no second witness they can take no action.

"Even when someone is a convicted paedophile the congregation members are very unlikely to know about it. I think the Jehovah's Witness community goes to great lengths to keep these cases as low profile as possible".

Jehovah's Witnesses response:

In response to Alison's claims, a spokesperson for the Jehovah's Witnesses told PlymouthLive they were "truly saddened to hear about this case" and they "deeply sympathise with any victim of child sexual abuse" adding "we consider child abuse as both a vile crime and a gross sin".

The spokesperson said the religion was "not immune to the evil of child sexual abuse" and had produced material "that helps parents to protect their children from child sexual abuse and to educate their children about sexual predators."

They cite Prof Patrick Parkinson - a law professor formerly employed by the Catholic Church - who in 2021 suggested that since 1992 the Jehovah's Witnesses 'established a procedure to obtain advice in order to ensure that elders complied with mandatory reporting laws'. They noted how he said in the 'Jehovah's Witnesses 2021 Progress Report' for the Australian Government's National Office for Child Safety "I know of no other religious body that had such a system in place so early and installed procedures."

Although the report does go on to note: "However, one of the criticisms made by the Royal Commission is that there was no evidence presented to the Commission to show that the JW elders reported to the police any of the 1006 cases for which records were kept".

The spokesperson stated that in 2020 the religion "released the policy 'Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Scripturally Based Position on Child Protection', which is available on their official website. This document provides an explanation of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ response to allegations of child abuse." They said the religion would continue to "refine their suggestions on how to protect children in society".

With regards to supporting victims the spokesperson said: "Elders strive to treat victims of child abuse with compassion, understanding, and kindness. The elders endeavour to listen carefully and empathetically to victims and to console them. Of course, victims and their families may decide to consult a mental-health professional."

As for Alison's feeling that Jehovah's Witness paid lip service to safeguarding and the community "goes to great lengths to keep these cases as low profile as possible", the spokesperson refuted this, saying it did not match with the Witness community "with the assessment made by child protection experts" noting Prof Parkinson's view that Jehovah’s Witnesses "are a 'childsafe' organisation and that their child protection policy and practices 'reflect a strong commitment to the protection of children.'"

They claimed: "The child protection policy of Jehovah’s Witnesses meets or exceeds all legal requirements" saying "where mandatory reporting laws exist, elders comply with secular laws about reporting allegations of abuse", and even where there were no mandatory reporting laws "elders will report an allegation of child abuse to the authorities whenever it appears that any child might be in danger of abuse or there is some other valid reason. They will do so based on the allegation of one person only and regardless of whether the allegation involves a parent, a guardian, or anyone else".

They added that "Elders clearly inform the person making the allegation of their absolute right to also report the allegation to the authorities. Victims and their families are offered pastoral support from the elders. Parents of minor children are also warned by elders of anyone associated with the congregation who has sexually abused a child."

They said that Elders - which would obviously have included Edward Pusey - "endeavour to take a loving and active interest in the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of congregants. At all times, though, elders are careful to allow individual congregants to make their own decisions."

They continued: "Elders are not dealt with differently to any other Jehovah’s Witness, when a crime is committed. Therefore, they are not 'a danger to children'. In 2020, expert Holy Folk stated, that 'none of the studies have shown Jehovah’s Witnesses to have a pattern of shielding clerical abuse. This stands in contrast to other religions where abuse has become known.'"

As for the "two witness rule" the spokesperson said this had "nothing to do with whether an allegation of child sexual abuse is reported to the statutory authorities. To be very clear, and as is clearly demonstrated above, the reporting of allegations of child sexual abuse to the authorities is not contingent upon the number of witnesses or whether a confession has been made.

"The Biblical requirement of two witnesses is related solely to a religious determination whether an ecclesiastical committee can be formed to determine whether the accused should be removed from being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This ecclesiastical process is not meant to be a substitute for the civil or criminal justice system. Instead, Jehovah’s Witnesses as a religion recognise that the secular authorities have the responsibility to handle civil and criminal cases."

With regards to Alison's view that victims remain in the same congregation as their abusers, the spokesperson for the religion said: "Jehovah's Witnesses do not teach that a person who has been abused should feel obligated to forgive the abuser. Rather than removing that person from the congregation, congregation elders would do everything they can to help and support the individual. The person might also want to seek professional help."

The spokesperson did not volunteer any information as to whether Pusey was dealt with by an ecclesiastical committee at any stage, nor whether he remains an elder or has been disfellowshipped.

Devon and Cornwall Police statement

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We recognise the courage of any victim of sexual abuse who chooses to report and engage with the criminal justice system.

"This was a complex and protracted investigation into non-recent sexual offences against the victim. Throughout the process, she has remained steadfast and consistent in providing her evidence to us. In working with her, we corroborated the information she provided to bring about a conviction.

"All this highlights that we take reports of sexual abuse seriously, regardless of how long ago it may have happened. We will gather any evidence as required to take appropriate action in line with the wishes of the victim, who will be listened to sympathetically.

"Victims will be guided through the criminal justice process with the support of our partner agencies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and numerous support organisations including Independent Sexual Violence Advisors.

"Devon & Cornwall Police is determined to bring offenders to justice, regardless of how much time has passed since an offence was committed. We hope that the successful prosecution of offenders encourages other victims of sexual offences to come forward and report what happened to them."

Support is available if you need help or assistance relating to sexual assault:

National Rape Crisis Helpline: 0808 802 9999

Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC): 0300 3034626

Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Independent Sexual Advisor Service: 03458 121212

Victim Care Unit: 01392 475900

Devon Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Services: 01392 204 174

In an emergency, always call 999 and in a non-emergency please visit www.dc.police.uk/contact or telephone 101.

Or report online at: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/

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