Source recordPrimary JW publicationverified2020sChild safeguarding

Source record · Primary JW publication

Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks, “Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Annexure K to CCJW Australasia response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1)”

1 December 2021pp. 1-10Source ID src-csa-guidelines-2021-1201-branch-service-desksAccessed 19 September 2026
Primary JW publication Verified

Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks, “Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Annexure K to CCJW Australasia response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1)”

1 December 2021 · pp.1-10 · pars. 1, 5, 6, 8 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania (World Headquarters Legal Department); produced by Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses (Australasia) (doc ID JHV0000013)

“If the victim or another minor is still in danger of abuse, the elders should report the matter to the secular authorities even if there is not a legal obligation to do so.”

Par. 8, which then lists screening questions (does the victim live in the accused's home; other minors in the home; proximity to minors) and says that if any answer is 'Yes' the Service Desk 'will direct that a report be made to the secular authorities'. Par. 1 restricts circulation to Branch Committee members, Service Department and Legal Department and forbids any electronic distribution. Par. 6: the Service Desk 'should assure the caller that he or she is free to report the allegation to the secular authorities'.

Provenance and verification note for Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks, Child Sexual Abuse—Guidelines for Branch Office Service Desks (Annexure K to CCJW Australasia response to NZ Royal Commission Notice to Produce 1)

Confidence note. Downloaded and text-extracted the NZ-hosted PDF; quotations verbatim. IICSA (2021) described this document as one of four core policy documents (its 2020 UK equivalent).

Scan provenance. New Zealand Abuse in Care Royal Commission evidence library (public record). The production date is 1 December 2021; the internal document is undated in the extract.

Corroborated by. src-iicsa-2021-0902-religious-organisations-report, src-arc-2017-0310-cs54-day259-transcript

Notes. An earlier version of these guidelines (August 2013) was in evidence at the Australian Royal Commission (Case Study 29 report p. 21, endnote 109).

Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-csa-guidelines-2021-1201-branch-service-desks