MTC President Sexually Assaulted Sister Missionaries

[_candygal]

Why in the world doesn't this Prophet speak out? His role and example is key...no spokesman can PR something like this. I find it shaming to any leader of any organization sit back and watch lives roll out like this...then to admonish saints next week.

[_Meadowchik]

Consig,

I wanted to say that I was impressed by your analysis and how you've reviewed the evidence as more and more information has been released. Since you seem to have some legal expertize I wanted to float an idea past you.

You picked up, in thinking like a Defense attorney that there are understandable questions surrounding the accuser and her behavior. I completely support her and I do believe that she was raped after looking at all the corroborating evidence we have.

There are reports of questionable behavior that were being used by Joseph L Bishop's son to try to discredit her. If we take her at her word that she was abused by family long before the MTC then as Doctor Cam pointed out she was already a sexualized and vulnerable woman before she even got there. She even says that she feels he targeted her for that very reason.

The Church in their first statement made a point of saying that this girl briefly served a mission, meaning she was discharged rather quickly. They don't mention if it was a medical release for a physical or mental health problem or a dishonorable release, or if that distinction existed back in 1984. A lot of her bizarre behavior has been highlighted by the Church, their leaders and Bishop's family to try to discredit her. Given the abuse she describes over a number of years preceding her experience with Bishop I'm not surprised that she describes herself as a very damaged person. Her Singles Ward Bishop who she told in the 80s described her as "neurotic".

Here's the idea I wanted to run by you. Is it possible that the accuser could be/or have been at the time classified as a vulnerable person?

“Vulnerable adult” means an elder adult, or an adult 18 years of age or older who has a mental or physical impairment which substantially affects that person’s ability to: (i) provide personal protection; (iii) obtain services necessary for health, safety, or welfare; or (vi) comprehend the nature and consequences of remaining in a situation of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

Given that childhood victims of abuse are much more likely to be revictimized and that could definitely have impaired her ability to protect herself, her ability to seek proper help and her ability to understand the dangers of being alone in the basement on the bed with Bishop.

Obviously Bishop could never be prosecuted for that since the statute of limitations has passed for him whether she was a vulnerable adult or not. What it does do though is raise some interesting questions around mandatory reporting rules and her Church leaders who she told about the abuse. There is no mandatory reporting rule for adults in Utah, but there is for vulnerable adults.

She told her Singles Ward Bishop Ron Leavitt in the 1980s. It was reported by him that she told him in 1984 the year it would have happened. If Leavitt had reported it then it could have been investigated then while he was still serving as MTC President. It's very possible other girls were abused due to that. Leavitt describes her as neurotic, that what she was saying was
groundless, farfetched and not internally logical. It sounds like he thought she was mentally unstable. If she left the Mission field early as an extremely damaged young woman I would expect there to have been communication happens between her Stake President, Bishop and Mission President, isn't that what would usually happen in that situation? I'd be interested to see her release paperwork. Could that have influenced how Leavitt saw her?

Here's how the reporting requirement was worded at the time,

76-5-111.1. Reporting requirements
(1) Any person, including but not limited to, a social worker, physician, psychologist, nurse, teacher, or employee of a private or public facility serving adults, who has reason to believe that any disabled or elder adult has been the subject of abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, neglect, or exploitation shall immediately notify the nearest peace officer, law enforcement agency, or local office of Adult Protective Services within the Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services.

By disabled the statute means vulnerable person. The reporting requirement has been reworded since then, but retains the same meaning. If Leavitt thought that the accuser had mental health issues wouldn't her recounting that the MTC President had groomed and abused her at the MTC while under the Church's responsibility be enough to make reporting to the police mandatory? Failure to report was a class B misdemeanor at the time. And there is no statute of limitations on failing to report in those circumstances.

Even though the legislation had been reworded it retained the same meaning in 2010 when she spoke to another priesthood leader about it. Apparently he thought that she was so mentally unsound that he thought she was planning to shoot Bishop and reported that to the police which I think most people would see as an inability to seek the help and services she needed in an appropriate way if it wasn't a joke. Hawkins claimed the leader reported the sexual assault but the police record and comments from the Pleasant Grove Police all confirm that it was the death threat that was reported and it was the death threat that was investigated. I would like to see the police report from 2010 to see if it was even mentioned in passing by the leader to the police. If it wasn't and that leader really thought she was actually going to shoot someone then the same question applies, was that leader under an obligation to report the abuse?

I doubt that any charges are going to be pursued, but I definitely could see an argument for why they should be especially with the Bishop who she reported this to in the 80s. I'd be interested in your thoughts Consig.

It is my understanding that she recieved special attention from Bishop at the MTC exactly because she was already vulnerable and showing signs of distress at the MTC because of prior abuse.

[_Sammy Jankins]

Statement from the woman in the recording on Mormon Leaks

I’m the woman in the recording with Joseph L. Bishop. My identity will be revealed when I file the lawsuit.

First, although MormonLeaks did release my recording prior to my consent, Mr. McKnight and Mr. Dodge support my cause. It is my belief that they were concerned about ALL of the victims that may become forgotten if my story was silenced by a settlement and non-disclosure agreement. I cannot fault them for that. Having this story leaked has actually helped me. I was struggling with the settlement. Part of me wanted to take it and part of me didn’t. They made it easy for me. I didn’t have to choose. Some have stated that I am heroic and brave. I am neither of those things. I interviewed my rapist because I was pissed off. The church told me I wasn’t entitled to know what action, if any, had been taken in my reporting his raping me to several church leaders for 30 years. I was fed up. It was neither brave nor heroic.

Part of me wanted this to go away quietly and a bigger part of me wanted to scream from the top of the mountain what he did to me. Now I get to scream!

Even if the leak of the recording was prior to my consent, I do not agree that these men are re-victimizing me. I don’t think they would have released the recording without giving it serious thought and weighing the consequences heavily.

I look forward to sharing more of the story in the coming weeks.

[_Sammy Jankins]

Mormon Leaks is fortunate the woman came to agree with the decision after the fact.

From the statement:

First, although MormonLeaks did release my recording prior to my consent, Mr. McKnight and Mr. Dodge support my cause. It is my belief that they were concerned about ALL of the victims that may become forgotten if my story was silenced by a settlement and non-disclosure agreement. I cannot fault them for that. Having this story leaked has actually helped me. I was struggling with the settlement.

Sounds like the church had put a settlement on the table when this went public. Their initial press release is reprehensible in light of that fact. The church sent a clear message to victims with their press release: We will try to undermine you to save face.

And NDA’s only propagate abuse. I don’t blame victims for taking them but I do blame those offer them to buy the victims silence.

[_I have a question]

Today we spoke with the attorney for one of the women, Craig Vernon of Idaho, says although there are now 2 women who have come forward with accusations, he thinks it’s likely there are as many as three victims.

http://kutv.com/news/local/lds-leaders- ... -president

Nelson and Oaks have been Apostles since1984.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I think the women have corroborated that the VCR was used for porn.

In the MTC.

By a man selected by the prophet.

Any TBM's waking up to the delusion of Mormonism, yet?

- doc

[_reflexzero]

I think the women have corroborated that the VCR was used for porn.

In the MTC.

By a man selected by the prophet.

Any TBM's waking up to the delusion of Mormonism, yet?

- doc

No TBM’s in my sphere are even aware of this.

[_candygal]

I think the women have corroborated that the VCR was used for porn.

In the MTC.

By a man selected by the prophet.

Any TBM's waking up to the delusion of Mormonism, yet?

- doc

No TBM’s in my sphere are even aware of this.

This needs to change..members need to know. I wish this would hit national news in a big way.

[_Res Ipsa]

Mormon Leaks is fortunate the woman came to agree with the decision after the fact.

From the statement:

First, although MormonLeaks did release my recording prior to my consent, Mr. McKnight and Mr. Dodge support my cause. It is my belief that they were concerned about ALL of the victims that may become forgotten if my story was silenced by a settlement and non-disclosure agreement. I cannot fault them for that. Having this story leaked has actually helped me. I was struggling with the settlement.

Sounds like the church had put a settlement on the table when this went public. Their initial press release is reprehensible in light of that fact. The church sent a clear message to victims with their press release: We will try to undermine you to save face.
And NDA’s only propagate abuse. I don’t blame victims for taking them but I do blame those offer them to buy the victims silence.

One thing I don’t think we know is what her attorney told the church when he sent the tape. If she wanted to just go public, why send it to the church at all? The only reason to send it to the church is to demand a pre-suit settlement. And the settlement obviously has more value if she agrees to keep the claims confidential. So, it would be interesting to see who first suggested a settlement in exchange for an NDA, if that’s what occurred.

I’m curious to see how her attorney gets around the applicable statutes of limitations.

[_Dantana]

Well, waddaya know, another piety pretending pervert. Add him to the list-
J. Smith
B. Young
(All flds) Jeffs
(Um, pretty much all) Televangelists
(Maybe) Cody Brown
Trump! (closed for comments)

It would take way too much googling, grey matter and teams of psychologists to figure out if these guys hold any iota of actual belief in their particular theory, or are purely fakers.