Attorney Steven Reich represents two men, both of whom allege they were sexually abused as minors by an elder in their Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. The case is one of many revealing a long history of covered-up sex abuse allegations within the faith.
Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations are overseen by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which maintains a secret database of sex abuse allegations going back decades. Most of the allegations have never been shared with law enforcement and the Watchtower refuses to release the contents of the database to investigators.
Childhood sex abuse by authority figures in Jehovah’s Witnesses congregations caused many victims to carry major trauma throughout their lives. Steven’s clients are among a group who have chosen to make their identities public in hopes of holding the church accountable for its many years of covering up abuse.
Media coverage about the lawsuit:
Jehovah’s Witnesses Covered Up Child Sexual Abuse In Washington State For Decades, Lawsuit Alleges, published in Investigate West.