MORMON CHURCH LOSES IN SEX-ABUSE VERDICT

[Mary]

In the newspaper below, it shows how things could change quickly for the Watchtower Society. - Ezekiel 36:1-12; Isaiah 33:17, 18

MORMON CHURCH LOSES IN SEX-ABUSE VERDICT

Source of Article
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

The Mormon church and one of its former officers in King County have been slapped with a $4.2 million verdict for negligence and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on two sisters in a case of child sex abuse.

On Friday, a jury found that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had done nothing to prevent Peter Taylor, a lay officer in the Federal Way stake (a geographic unit of the church), from sexually molesting his stepdaughter despite knowing about the abuse. The girl's younger sister also was a victim, the jury found.

During the trial, police testified that the church had thwarted their attempts to investigate the charges by shielding clergy and maintaining that any information they might have was secret under a priest-penitent privilege.

"No jury likes people that use religion to cover up for the fact that they were protecting child molesters," said Tim Kosnoff, the plaintiffs' lawyer. "It was clear they wanted to send a message to the Mormon church with this verdict."

Seattle attorney Tom Fry, who represented the church, said he was "shocked and surprised" by the ruling.

"I think the jury got it dead wrong," he said, noting that the court had found that Taylor had not been acting as an officer of the church when he molested his stepdaughters.

"The church abhors any type of child abuse," Fry said.

Taylor was criminally prosecuted by King County in 2001 and served three years in prison.

Church officials have not yet decided whether to appeal.