Clergy Sex Abuse Group Founder Heads to Europe

For immediate release: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Clergy Sex Abuse Group Founder Heads to Europe

He'll Meet with Government Officials & Abuse Organizations in 2 Countries

Man Will Also Visit Grave of Suicide Victim Who Was Raped by Jehovah's
Witness

WHAT:
At a sidewalk news conference, the founder and head of a support group for those molested in the Jehovah's Witness faith will

-- describe his upcoming eight day European trip to meet with political and non-governmental agencies and work on preventing clergy sex abuse, and

-- discuss his organization's outreach effort to find and help more me and women who have been sexually assaulted by Jehovah's Witnesses.

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 25, 10:00 a.m.

WHERE:
Outside a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, 6020 O'Brien Ave. (corner of Eastboro Dr.), Nashville, TN (615-356-6580)

WHO:
A Madison man who started SilentLambs.org, a nationwide group that helps men and women who were sexually assaulted as kids by Jehovah's Witnesses

VISUAL:
He'll show a pile of documents and records of abuse cases he'll bring to Europe & share with leaders there.

WHY:
In 2001, William H. Bowen founded SilentLambs.org, which has helped 6,000 victims of sexually abusive Jehovah's Witnesses.


http://www.silentlambs.org/NationalPresspacket.htm

From September 27 - October 3, he'll travel to France and Belgium and meet with a wide range of organizations that deal with child sexual abuse, including a commission (the MIVILUDE) which is attached to the French Prime Minister, a Parisian MP who chairs a parliamentary group studying cults and sectarian groups, two non-profits (the Organization for the Protection of Environment of Deyvillers and the ADFI, a support group for abuse survivors) and the Mayor of Louviers (all in France).

He'll also meet with the European Commission in Brussels and top staffers at the Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters in both countries).
Seven years ago, Bowen reported to fellow Jehovah's Witness church officials that another elder was a confessed child molester. (That
predator remains a Jehovah's Witness in good standing to this day.)

Bowen was then ostracized by fellow church members and went on to start SilentLambs.org.

CONTACT: William H. Bowen of Nashville, founder of SilentLambs.org 270-703-2257 cell, 270-527-5350, David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAPnational director 314-566-9790 cell