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IN PHOTO: The judges of the German Federal Constitutional Court court, (L-R) President Jutta Limbach, Bertold Sommer and Siegfried Bro, read out a ruling concerning the trial surrounding the Jehovas Witnesses religious group in Karlsruhe December 19, 2000. The court decided to make no ruling on whether the Jehovas Witnesses are a body under public law and passed the issue onto another court. ROR

A public hearing led by the Royal Commission in Sydney has found that at least 1,006 child sexual abuse cases were overlooked by the Jehovaha's Witnesses Church since 1950, with not a single claim reported to the police. The findings are part of the investigation into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The inquiry, which is expected to run for two weeks, heard about the experiences of the victims of the child sexual abuse claims, which was kept secret following the church's policy of handling allegations and charges internally, reported news.com.au.

Angus Stewart, a counsellor assisting the Royal Commission, confirmed that at least 1,006 cases were overlooked by the church committee members as at least two people had to validate the offence, according to their internal policy. As a result, many alleged perpetrators got away with their crime.

In addition, the church also has a policy strictly prohibiting its members from making complaints of abuses to secular authorities. Although it had ostracised nearly 401 of its members after child sexual abuse was reported with proper evidence, deeming it an "a gross sin" and crime, yet most of them were later reappointed to the positions of authority, said Mr. Stewart.

The commission also heard that church members made the victims confront the abusers, which ended with at least two victims being blamed for their behaviours. According to Sydney Morning Herald, one of the victims, who had been abused since 15, is expected to be heard by the commission soon, and will share that she was forced to confront her abuser, who joked about it in front of other members.

Another victim claimed that her father who was also a church elder had molested her. The commission will hear evidence that not only did the church drop the allegations against the father but also blamed the victim for wrongly seducing him. However, on taking the matter to the police, her father was convicted. The hearing will continue today, and go on for another two weeks.

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