The Watchtower, “Comfort for Those With a "Stricken Spirit"”
“If the accusation is denied, the elders should explain to the accuser that nothing more can be done in a judicial way. And the congregation will continue to view the one accused as an innocent person. The Bible says that there must be two or three witnesses before judicial action can be taken. (2 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Timothy 5:19)”
Written in the context of adults recovering 'repressed memories' of childhood abuse; instructs elders what to do when only one accuser exists and the accused denies it. The Royal Commission cited this article as still informing procedure in 2015 (Case Study 29 report p. 25, p. 64).
Official source (opens in new tab)
Provenance and verification note for The Watchtower, Comfort for Those With a "Stricken Spirit"
Confidence note. Opened wol.jw.org page (marker 'w95 11/1 pp. 25-29') and confirmed wording. Note wol gives pp. 25-29, not 26-29 as in the brief.
Corroborated by. src-arc-2016-1000-cs29-report
Notes. The article does not mention reporting to police or civil authorities.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-w-1995-1101-stricken-spirit