The Jehovah’s Witness church has been fighting scrutiny from a national inquiry into the historical abuse of children for three years, court documents show.
The church has accused the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care of wilfully “miscasting” its religion and ignoring evidence showing why it should be excluded from the inquiry.
In June, the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses Australasia, which oversees 170 New Zealand congregations, filed for a judicial review to exempt itself from the inquiry, arguing it does not have historical abuse cases within the inquiry’s scope.
The inquiry’s scope was expanded to include faith-based institutions in November 2018 after lobbying from religious groups and survivors. The Jehovah’s Witness faith is the only group to oppose being involved. Continue reading