Church statement on Arizona abuse case

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TheDuke
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

Post by TheDuke »

So, aside from the specifics of this case, what is the correct thing to do? Seems varied to me.

If a victim comes forward or a partner (not offender) seems it should always be reported.

If an offender comes forward in privacy, then it seems more complicated. If it is in confidence then that confidence needs to be adhered to. If not, no one would ever again come forward. In this case at least some should take action, like the comments on client-attorney privilege. It sucks but any other path would seem to lessen the overall help?

Now if there are aggravating circumstances, it seems the bishop can take action to protect the victims w/o violating the confidence. It would seem in all cases immediate follow up and continued intervention should be made.

Joan7
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

Post by Joan7 »

NowWhat wrote: August 26th, 2022, 10:47 am KIT, Your situation made me think of an abuse issue with a former spouse--emotional and some physical abuse by my spouse and the father of my kids. We were new members, and my husband only had the Aaronic Priesthood--and he didn't follow the WoW. I told one Bishop about the abusive behavior, and he gave my husband the Melchizedek Priesthood! I was a novice in the Church, and I believed the Church would change him-ha! The kids grew to be teens and we went to another bishop, with concerns about "Amen to the Priesthood of that man," and he told us point blank that we were wrong.
I am sorry that happened to you, NowWhat! I hope your situation is much better now.

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inho
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

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https://apnews.com/article/religion-law ... 00014514b0
A Utah lawmaker and prominent attorney for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints advised a church bishop not to report a confession of child sex abuse to authorities, a decision that allowed the abuse to continue for years, according to records filed in a lawsuit.

The records — two pages from a log of calls fielded by a law firm representing the church and the deposition of a church official — show that Utah Republican State Rep. Merrill F. Nelson took the initial call from a bishop reporting that church member Paul Adams had sexually abused his daughters. Nelson also had multiple conversations over a two-year span with two bishops who knew of the abuse, the records show.

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inho
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

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William Maledon, a lawyer representing the church in the Arizona suit, argues that the word "immediately" in the law is open to interpretation. "Who knows what 'immediately' means in that context?" he asked during a July AP interview. "You can make the argument that it means as soon as you determine that you have an obligation to report. That's the way I would interpret it, and I think the way any good lawyer would interpret it."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/amp/nation ... hide-abuse

Church reporting abuse immediately is like Julie Rowe's imminent earthquakes.

Mamabear
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

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https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... tinues_to/

Read the second comment from the top. It’s about the founder of Kirton McConkie

EmmaLee
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Re: Church statement on Arizona abuse case

Post by EmmaLee »

From the link above -

'Strike the Steel' - LDS Church Website continues to publish 'New Era' article by B. Lloyd Poleman - Kirton McConkie founder and former Stake President, arrested for having sex with teenage girl in his car.

Never forget, Kirton McConkie founder, and Stake President Lloyd Poleman was arrested for having sex in a car with a teenager and at a special Stake Conference Boyd K. Packer assured church members that he would experience 'No eternal consequences' for the act. Additionally, Poleman continued to work for Kirton McConkie.

Again, Kirton McConkie was co-founded by a sex offender, who continued to work for them in an executive capacity after his arrest, and Apostle Elder Packer said he was A-OK at Stake Conference.

Kirton McConkie is filthy.

Poelman, a Stake President & Partner in Mormon Church Law Firm arrested for soliciting prostitute

At a special conference of Monument Park North Stake on 14 August, Lloyd Poelman was released. He bore his testimony . . . Elder Boyd K Packer, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve, presided over the conference, cautioned members of the stake not to talk about the stake’s ‘family’ matters and assured the stake members, ‘I felt relieved about President and Sister Poelman. Whatever else will take place, there will be no eternal consequences.’ . . . Poelman was excommunicated later that day. Although his name has been removed as a partner in the law firm, (now Kirton & McConkie), he is still employed in this firm which still transacts much of the Church’s legal business.”

Poleman, who's brother was also a General Authority, chaired a regional committee on child trafficking and abuse - but was observed to be more sympathetic to the groups trafficking and abusing children than the victims.

An unanswered and perhaps unanswerable question is the degree to which Utah’s Mormon culture and the overwhelmingly Mormon majority of lawmakers impact public policy in the area of family functioning and child abuse. In at least one documentable instance in which the Church was invited to have representation in such issues, the person selected seems not to have been well chosen as a child advocate, whatever his other abilities. Governor Norman Bangerter responded to double-digit leaps in reported cases of child sexual abuse by appointing a blue-ribbon committee in 1992 to report on the problem and suggest possible action for the Utah legislature. To represent a broad spectrum of community interests, the governor’s office asked for a representative from the LDS Church. B. Lloyd Poelman, then a named partner in the law firm of Kirton, McConkie and Poelman that represents the Church in many legal cases, was appointed. Ronald E. Poelman, Lloyd’s brother, is a General Authority, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, which is ranked second to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Nicholas G. Smith, who attended meetings of the task force over the next several months, stated: "Poelman always seemed to have his own agenda. He definitely was not an advocate for abused children. Rather, he manifested particular solicitude for the interests of large organizations whose agents might be perpetrating against children."

CHURCH REPRESENTATIVES ON CHILD ABUSE PANELS

Poleman's attraction to a group associating with child trafficking and abuse is consistent with pedophiles seeking positions in teaching, scouting, youth sports and other organizations providing access to vulnerable kids.

Yet the church website even continues to publish an article Poleman wrote for 'The New Era' - a church magazine targeting teens. Strike the Steel by B. Lloyd Poelman

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