CONSIDER YOUR VERDICT
(Investigator 22, 1992 January)
A 21 year old Adelaide woman fought to deny her Jehovah's Witness
husband increased access to their 2 year old boy in Adelaide's Family
Court in November.
L..... C..... had obtained interim custody after leaving the sect
in January. The husband wanted his access to the son increased to
alternate weekends plus 2 days a week.
Quoting from JW magazines borrowed from "Investigator", Mrs C's
lawyer tried to show that the son might be indoctrinated into shunning
his mother. In the JW Organization God comes first and everything else
such as relatives, education and career comes afterwards.
Mrs C. said under oath that JWs regard ex members as "apostate" and
"bad associations" who will die soon at Armageddon, and have to be
shunned meanwhile lest they mislead others. She said that her former
"close friends" no longer even say "hello" when they pass her. She
testified that JW children are taught from babyhood to await
paradise on Earth.
Mrs C. said the boy regressed in his toilet training every time he
spent a day with his father and would cling to her and be despondent
for hours afterwards.
The judge ruled that Mr C. may have his son every alternate weekend
including an overnight stay pending the custody hearing in about April
1992. Under oath Mr C. agreed not to take the boy door to door, or
talk religion to him, or take him to meetings, nor permit others to do
these things to the boy.
In the USA the JW Organization advises members in about 1000 custody disputes each year!
"Investigator" found out about the case in Adelaide from Mr Phil Brown
who is involved in a Uniting Church anti cult ministry to which Mrs
C. had been directed by the Department of Family & Community
Services.