Jehovah’s Witness David Burridge, who also goes by the name “Martin,” is accused of indecently assaulting a young girl several times between 1975 and 1983. In addition, he is alleged to have indecently assaulted a young boy between 1999 and 2001.
The 62-year-old, of Station Road in Alderholt, near Fordinbridge, denies the charges against him.
Matthew Farmer, prosecuting the case at Bournemouth Crown Court, told jurors on the first day of the trial against Burridge that the alleged victim had only realised what was happening when she was taught sex education at school.
The court heard that Burridge told the girl he was giving her “special cuddles” and that he had fallen in love with her.
***UPDATE – Since this article was posted to JWsurvey, Burridge has been acquitted of all charges. See link.***
Farmer said: “The complainant had quite a troubled life after the alleged abuse in terms of her mental health. Not that long ago, in 2012, she took an overdose and afterwards finally told her family what had happened.”
As for the male complainant, Mr Farmer says his abuse took place almost two decades later. “The alleged victim remembers feeling imprisoned,” he told the court.
A videoed police interview with the woman was also shown to jurors. In it, the female victim said: “I didn’t know at the time that there was anything wrong with why he was cuddling me. It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I realised it was all very, very wrong – I was doing sex ed at school.”
Burridge denies five counts of indecent assault and one of indecent assault on a male.
More to be uncovered
I hope to be able to report on this case in more detail as it continues. I am unsure whether Burridge held any position in his congregation, as not many details have been released as yet. As the case progresses it will be interesting to see how many similarities there are between this case and the countless others being reported.
One question I hope to be able to answer is: were the elders aware of the alleged abuse, and what did they do about it? I have yet to hear of any cases where elders have actually volunteered witness statements to police or attended court in support of the victim.
The London Branch has not released a statement yet with regards to this case, but I’m not expecting too much. I’m sure I’m not the only person who is getting a little bored of the same old press release from Watchtower. We hear how they abhor child abuse and support victims, but we are yet to see any actual evidence to support such claims.
Karen is herself a victim of child sex abuse as a Jehovah’s Witness. You can read more about her story here and here.
Further reading…
Thank you for covering this Karen. Massive love to the victims of this horrible man and well done for being so brave and coming forward.
Hopefully one day this evil religion will change their policies and actually start protecting children rather than their abusers.
Once again…. What side is the JW religion on??
Satan’s. It’s the perfect cover, isn’t it?
Let’s put this in all prospective. Many cases coming up and not settling out of court= Massive dollar lawsuits won against the Watchtower=Draining of their contributions for their publishing company=Increased pressure on its ranks for higher contributions to pay for these lawsuits=In time disgruntled fed up ranks who are duped into paying for the Watchtowers mistakes and flawed policies= I’m ready to leave this terrible cult. Amen
What’s taking you so long! Get out now and enjoy the rest of your life as a real person. Please, don’t drink the cool-aid.
I left after 30 years and ALL the stuff the WT says about dying at Armageddon or being unhappy after you leave are false! All of that is to keep YOU in fear so YOU won’t leave! I left and am so happy I did I wish I had done it years ago and spared me from further harm that the WT puts on it’s members. Please don’t let another day go by with you still locked in the ORG!
Is this a NEW one? Sorry, I’m not up on every news item such as this.
Hi to all.
So very sad to see more victims of watchtower`s utter failure to protect children. Condemning, while necessary, is for me insufficient. I wish there was any way to help child prisoners of this sinister cult.
New, very recent developments may bring about positive change and protection for the vulnerable: there is finally good news on the long-standing UK Charity Commission’s investigation into Jehovah’s Witnesses in the UK. Both Third Sector and Civil Society (just type in Third Sector Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc, in Google) reported on 12 March 2015 that the investigation into the WT Soc of GB can now go ahead. Judge McKenna seems to be one of the people in public office to finally be joining the dots re the evidence of the endemic level of cover-up about child abuse within the WT Soc. The WT Soc is, at last, going to be publicly scrutinised, whether they like it or not — there can be no more appeals on this one! (Indefensible that they tried to appeal anyway, but we know that’s their also indefensible policy.)
Karen, thanks for posting this. There are so many lawsuits that I can’t keep up with them all. There is no way to find out how many cases were settled out of court over the years, nor to know how many current lawsuits the GB is in. I reckon if things get too bad, they will start selling off some of those Kingdom Halls, which they now own, thanks to the “generousity” of all our dear brothers and sisters.
It’s no surprise that the abused girl has a troubled life. If you or the young man is reading this, know that you are not alone. You are not a bad person. He abused you, but you are loveable and precious to so many of us.
It took a lot of courage for y’all to finally tell your parents. It is my hope that you both are getting the professional help that will help you on your road to recovery. The road is long and has a lot of chalenges ahead. What happened to you canot be undone, but you can still have a meaningful and happy life one day.
Since there is twenty years between the abuse, there is a good probability that he abused other children. I hope your bravery will help them come forward and add their voices to yours so that they can start healing.
Much love and encouragement to both of you from your Christian sister.
A full list of child abuse cases would be really useful. I think I will start compiling it. Any help greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much, Karen, for reporting on this story. I hope to hear more about it.
Karen
You are so brave! I am sorry for all those who are victims of the WT abuse. Keeping the light on the WT and exposing them for the abuse they put on children is needed more and more. The WT doesn’t even admit to it and they LIE about not having child molesters in their midst. The fact that they lie and blame apostates is appalling. Please keep exposing them until they have to admit it and do something about it!
“Keeping the light on the WT and exposing them for the abuse they put on children is needed more and more.”
Hopefully ‘the light will get brighter and brighter’ until they can stand it no more and call it quits!
Last night (March 12, 2015) on U.S. television, ABC’s Nightline ran a segment with Contace Conte where she was talking about the cover up of child abuse within the JW organization. It was 11:37 P.M., Central Standard Time.
If you go to Barbara Anderson’s website, she tells about it. The shows can be watched one week after the show airs without having to sign in so you can’t watch it yet online but a week from now you will be able to see it from Barbara Anderson’s website where she has a link to that show.
In the interview, ABC went to Kendrick’s house because he refused interviews and they got him when he and his wife were coming home from work and ABC asked him about the abuse of Candace Conte and of his 2nd wife’s granddaughter and his 2nd wife (the grandmother) who had gotten out of the car that Kendrick had been driving and was threatening to call the police, clearly said that Kendrick had paid the price for his “crime”. But of course Kendrick denied ever abusing Candice Conte but like Candice commented, isn’t that what a child abuser would say?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngFjWrX9WCM&feature=youtu.be
If you listen carefully to the exchange between the ABC investigative reporter and the grandmother of Kendrick’s third victim (at about 9 minutes 48 seconds onwards), you will hear the grandmother say clearly: ‘He [Kendrick] paid for that crime.’ Note her slight inflexion on ‘that’. I think that is telling.
@ Karen, another powerful article. You are a survivor and you’re helping people with your actions. I respect your compassion and intelligence so much.
Oh my goodness! Yet another case of child abuse in the WTBTS. My sympathy and respect go to the victims in this case.
Their bravery in coming forward is an inspiration to us all. I wonder if this individual knew Furlong? They are either in the same congregation or in close proximity.
These revolting excuses for human beings disgust me. I am glad that the case is being heard in Court, where it belongs. Both parties will receive an impartial trial, and the facts will be revealed.
I am beginning to think that there is a paedophile ring in the WTBTS. The high rate of paedophilia in the WTBTS is far higher than in the general population.
Karen,
Thank you for your continued brave and compassionate work in exposing what is happening to children and young people in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. You, and all the victims who come forward, are an inspiration to us all.
I will await the outcome of this case, and I hope that the victims are given justice.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
I brought Jonathan Kendrick up on the California sex offender list and it says he was born in 1954 so he’s 61 now and it says he has a felony conviction for sexual battery involving a restrained person, lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age. The website has a picture of him and even his address.
In the video from ABC Nightline, it said the granddaughter was 7 at the time. That official governmental web site that I was able to bring up, is saying that he held down his wife’s grand daughter while he was committing the sexual offense against her.
What I don’t understand is how this grandmother can stand to live with him and defend him like she does.
Also, ABC said that Kendrick said he was in good standing in the congregation, but it’s odd that he’s allowed to wear a goatee. I don’t know of any Witnesses around here that are allowed to wear a goatee.
How can his wife defend him and continue to live with him, in spite of what he did to her granddaughter? The bible itself answers: “No natural affection”!!!
Thanks Karen,for bringing this to our attention,this is of course the tip of the iceberg….More and more cases will come to light as the Org.crumbles…! Peace to all…
David Martin Burridge AKA Martin David a former Jehovah’s Witness was found not guilty and was aquitted by a jury of 12 and retains his impecible character as described by the Judge presiding over this case.
folks,
Have you noticed that we haven’t had a WT apologist come on a posting about child abuse for a while?
In the past, there would be at least one JW willing to try to defend the indefensible. They haven’t tried recently.
Stephen Lett’s feeble attempt to blame this on apostates merely reinforces the fact that denial is not going to cut it anymore.
We need to press home our attack!
Peace be with you, Excelsior!
Thank you, Karen!
You said, “I have yet to hear of any cases where elders have actually volunteered witness statements to police or attended court in support of the victim.” How true! Their absence is SO glaring!
I, too, am so SICK of the predictable, cookie cutter statement issued by Watchtower that they “ABHOR” child abuse. No, they do not!
Jehovah/Yahweh = Tetragrammaton (Tetra(4) Gram (Measure) Aton (Akehenaton) = “The Four Measures of ATON” = Akhenaton ( Akin to Aton or Son of Aton). Akhenaton = the Heritic Androgynus Effeminate Egyptian Pharaoh of the Exodus (aka Moses) who became ‘Yahweh’ or ‘Jehovah’ aka “Girly Boy”. Jehovahs Witnesses = Girly Boys Witnesses…
Folks,
The latest edition of “Private Eye” features an article about the investigation by the Charity Commission into the Jehovah’s Witnesses. (Edition dated 20.3.2015, number 1388)
For our overseas readers,”Private Eye” is a satirical political magazine in the UK.
The truth is being told by non Witnesses more and more.
It is a real shot in the arm for me to see that our activism has already had a good result.
As my pseudonym translates as, onward and upward!
The WTBTS are in the beginnings of their own pangs of distress. It is they that are afraid now. For too long, they have made victims afraid to come forward, but that fear is now theirs.
Karen,
Your case is mentioned in this article. Thank you for all that you are doing and have done. You are an inspiration to me and so many others. Bless you.
Peace be with you, Excelsior!