An Annual Event

Each year on the 26th of July, Jehovah’s Witness survivors and friends commemorate the Watch Tower Victims Memorial Day.

This international day is to mourn and respect victims of the unconscionable and dangerous corporate policies of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, the parent organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

On the 26th of July 1931, the president of the Watch Tower Society, J. F. Rutherford, invented the name ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses’.

Watch Tower Victims Memorial Day honors, by remembering, the thousands of Jehovah’s Witness abuse victims and survivors. Such due honor is often expressed by peacefully leaving a note or stuffed toy attached to the gate of a local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

watchtowervictimsmemorialday

A reason to Say Sorry

In 2015 and 2017 the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (CARC) published findings that among 68,000 active Jehovah’s Witnesses in Australia, there were over ‘1800 alleged victims of child sexual abuse’. Not a single one of these cases was reported by the church to the authorities.

The CARC’s Final Report Recommendations for Case Study 29 stated:

  • ‘The Jehovah’s Witness organisation should abandon its application of the two-witness rule in cases involving complaints of child sexual abuse.’ (Recommendation 16.27)
  • ‘The Jehovah’s Witness organisation should revise its policies so that women are involved in processes related to investigating and determining allegations of child sexual abuse.’ (Recommendation 16.28)
  • ‘The Jehovah’s Witness organisation should no longer require its members to shun those who disassociate from the organisation in cases where the reason for disassociation is related to a person being a victim of child sexual abuse.’ (Recommendation 16.29)

Link to DOWNLOAD Case Study 29 Report on Jehovah’s Witnesses

CARC summary of findings in Case Study 29 Jehovah's Witnesses

The leaders of the Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses

The current all male members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses have not publicly acknowledged the suffering of child abuse victims and they have refused to recognise the official figures released by the CARC.

The Church of Jehovah’s Witnesses refuses to say sorry to child abuse survivors.

not sorry

© Los Angeles Times. Original cartoon by Horsey. Speech dialogue added.

In Remembrance

Please show your support for the survivors and victims and help us all receive an apology.

Watchtower Victims Memorial Day is an annual opportunity for everyone to be supportive and show solidarity.

The Say Sorry Team