Address to the House of Representatives, Statements by Members

Tuesday 10 February 2025

For some time now I have been engaging with Lara Kaput, a constituent of mine who's a former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Over many years, Lara and her colleagues have undertaken significant research into the abuse and obfuscation which has occurred within the organisation. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse found that the Jehovah's Witnesses was not an organisation which responded adequately to abuse. The research undertaken by Lara and her colleagues is comprehensive and builds upon this finding. Lara's research suggest that the lessons of the history of abuse have not been fully learnt and taken to heart in the ongoing operations of the organisation. Disturbingly, Lara told me that, in the six years of the operation of the Redress Scheme, there have been only two successful applications from victims of abuse within the Jehovah's Witness community. The report produced by the Joint Standing Committee on Implementation of the National Redress Scheme last year covers a great deal of ground on this subject. In particular, the inquiry found that it appeared possible that the Jehovah's Witnesses misled the joint standing committee in its evidence.

It is clear that a legacy of abuse and mismanagement must be addressed in all its aspects. The antidote is scrutiny. I look forward to continuing to work with Lara and to advocate for action on this important issue.