Latest news with #Jehovah'sWitnesses
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Catholic bishops sue Washington state over law requiring clergy to report child abuse
Catholic leaders in Washington have sued the state over a new law requiring clergy to report suspected child abuse, including details potentially revealed during confession. The lawsuit, filed last week on behalf of the bishops, alleges Senate Bill 5375, which was signed into law on May 2, violates the First Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The law 'puts Roman Catholic priests to an impossible choice: violate 2,000 years of Church teaching and incur automatic excommunication, or refuse to comply with Washington law and be subject to imprisonment, fine, and civil liability,' the lawsuit states. The law's text doesn't target Catholics specifically. In fact, it upholds the mandatory reporting requirement for ministers, priests, rabbis, imams, elders or a 'spiritual leader of any church, religious denomination, religious body, spiritual community or sect," adding to a list that includes school employees and health care workers. The bill's sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Noel Frame, said she was motivated to create this bill following reports that Jehovah's Witnesses covered up child sexual abuse for years. But the Catholic bishops, of a denomination that has also been roiled over several years by child sex abuse scandals, argue in their filing that the law could be used to force them to violate their oaths if they're forced to relay child abuse information provided during confessions. The New York Times offered some helpful context here: Clergy are considered mandated reporters in a majority of states, meaning they are legally obligated to report to authorities if they suspect a child is being abused. In most states, however, the state reserves protections for the clergy-penitent relationship. In seven states, including New Hampshire and West Virginia, there is no such exception. (In Tennessee, the privilege is denied only in cases of child sexual abuse.) It's not clear that any priests have been prosecuted or penalized in those states over failing to report abuse that they learned about during a confession. In other words, the Washington state law isn't wholly unprecedented, even if it's controversial to some Catholics. And one might think the Trump administration, which has made a show of cracking down on purported child abuse, might support legislation such as this, which appears equipped to help Washington do so as well. But the Justice Department last month launched an investigation into the law, framing it as 'anti-Catholic.' In a statement responding to the lawsuit, Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, who is Catholic, 'I'm disappointed my Church is filing a federal lawsuit to protect individuals who abuse kids." Ferguson has stated previously that Catholic Bishops potentially having to reveal child abuse claims they hear during confession didn't give him pause. 'I'm very familiar with it," he said. "Been to confession, myself. I felt this was important legislation for protecting kids. This article was originally published on
New Indian Express
21-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Interpol to investigate international links in 2023 Kalamassery blast case
KOCHI: Interpol has decided to investigate the international links in the 2023 Kalamassery blast case, which claimed eight lives during a Jehovah's Witnesses convention. The probe follows a request from the Kerala Police, routed through the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) earlier this year. The twin IED blasts occurred on October 29, 2023, at a convention centre in Kalamassery during a prayer meeting, killing eight people and injuring 53. On the same day, Dominic Martin, a resident of Kochi, took responsibility for the attack via a social media post and later surrendered to the police. Investigators later found that Martin had worked in Dubai for several years before returning to Kochi a few months prior to the incident. In January 2024, the Kerala government permitted the police to initiate the Mutual Legal Assistance proceedings with the UAE. Subsequently, MHA forwarded the request to the Interpol authorities in Dubai to assist with the investigation. 'Recently, we received information that Interpol has begun processing the Mutual Legal Assistance request. The authorities in Dubai have agreed to provide the information we sought as part of the investigation. The Interpol-linked agency in Dubai will conduct an inquiry based on our request and the findings will be shared with us through MHA,' a senior police officer told TNIE. Kerala Police have requested information regarding Martin's stay in Dubai, his known associates, and whether he had any prior criminal involvement during his time there. Meanwhile, a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses has reported receiving a threat from a Malaysian phone number.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- New Indian Express
Ahead of trial, Kerala Kalamassery blast case witnesses receive death threat
KOCHI: Ahead of the trial in the case related to the serial blasts that rocked a Jehovah's Witnesses gathering in Kalamassery, an alleged death threat was issued against witnesses who are to testify against Dominic Martin, the accused, on Wednesday. The threatening message was sent to the phone number of Sreekumar, the public relations officer of Jehovah's Witnesses, a Christian denomination. 'The threat message from a Malaysian phone number was received on my WhatsApp, around 10 pm on Monday. But, I noticed it only the following morning,' said Sreekumar, a resident of North Kalamassery. Detailing about the threat message, he said: 'The first message warned of explosions at Jehovah's Witnesses' worship centres, including near Aluva temple, and all other conventions across the state. When I asked why, the sender replied that Jehovah's Witnesses must be eradicated from Kerala, and that anyone testifying against Dominic Martin would be killed. Here, I asked why he was telling all this to me. The sender replied that everyone needed to know.' 'All these communications were in English. No further messages followed,' he said. He added that, he has filed official complaints with both the Kalamassery Police and Aluva Rural Police. 'We received the complaint regarding the death threat late on Tuesday. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for inciting communal hatred and issuing death threats,' said M B Latheef, SHO of Kalamassery Police Station. The investigation is under way, and we cannot reveal further details at this point, he added. Latheef also noted that the Kochi city police had filed the chargesheet in the Kalamassery blast case on time, and the trial proceedings are set to begin soon.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
Police investigate threat towards regional spokesperson of Jehovah's Witnesses
Kochi: The Kochi city police launched an investigation after a regional spokesperson of Jehovah's Witnesses (JW) received a WhatsApp message threatening to carry out bomb attacks on the religious group's places of worship and prayer gatherings across Kerala. The message, which also warned of killing any individuals cooperating in the ongoing Kalamassery blasts case , was received by T A Sreekumar , spokesperson for JW's public information department, on Tuesday sender is believed to have used a number registered in Malaysia. Following the threat, Sreekumar filed a formal complaint, prompting the Kalamassery police to register a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 196 (inciting hatred among groups) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation). As per the complaint, an anonymous individual threatened Sreekumar over the police are currently working to trace the origin of the recent threat and determine whether it is linked to any larger network or is an isolated act of Kalamassery blasts occurred during a JW congregation on Oct 29, 2023, claiming eight lives, including a 12-year-old girl and injuring several attendees. The sole accused, Martin V D of Thammanam, surrendered hours after the incident and allegedly confessed to carrying out the attack alone. He was in judicial custody since police investigation into the case culminated in a chargesheet submitted to the Ernakulam district principal sessions court in April 2024. It includes testimony from 284 witnesses, over 150 pieces of material evidence and spans more than 3,500 pages. Despite the comprehensive documentation, the trial is yet to commence.
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Kerala police launch probe after threats to Jehovah's Witnesses
Kochi, The Kerala Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation following a complaint from the Public Relations Officer of 'Jehovah's Witnesses', a Christian religious group, that he received a threatening international phone call. The caller allegedly warned that members of the group who testify against the accused in the Kalamassery serial blast case would be killed. According to the complaint filed at the Kalamassery police station, the caller also threatened to plant bombs at all conclaves and prayer halls where the PRO conducts religious services. The PRO said he received the call from a Malaysian number at 9.57 pm on May 12, police confirmed. An FIR has been registered under Sections 196 and 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita , and an investigation is underway, they said on Wednesday. The threat comes as the trial is about to begin in connection with the October 2023 blasts during a gathering of Jehovah's Witnesses in Kalamassery here, which left eight people dead and several others injured. Hours after the blasts, a man named Dominic Martin allegedly an estranged member of the group surrendered to police in Thrissur district, claiming responsibility for the attack. He was later arrested. Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian religious group that traces its origins to 19th century America. According to historians, Jehovah's Witnesses was considered an offshoot of the International Bible Students' Association, founded by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh in the year 1872. Unlike mainstream Christian denominations, Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in the Holy Trinity but worship Jehovah as "the God of the Bible and the Creator of all things". Followers of the group see Jesus Christ as the son of God, and not God himself. They learn from the teachings and examples set by Christ; hence they consider themselves Christians.
