Public Statement of “BCG” In Response to Recent Manufactured Social Media Attacks

Editor’s Note: As many people in the community of former Jehovah’s Witnesses know, Daniel Walker, who writes under the pseudonym “Covert Fade” on the website JWsurvey.com, announced that he is writing a book about the Australian Royal Commission Inquiry of 2015, of which Jehovah’s Witnesses were a part. One woman who testified at that Inquiry, under the pseudonym “BCG,” objected to his plans, as he had not even spoken to her about this issue, and she was very uncomfortable with having him handle her story of molestation and abuse.

What followed were several days of disgusting and downright horrific behavior on social media, aimed at BCG by Daniel Walker, Lloyd Evans aka John Cedars, and their followers.

To learn more about this issue and see screen captures of those attacks yourself, please see the links at the bottom of this page.

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29 August 2017

First, I wanted to distinguish, how I feel about a Book vs Journalistic coverage of my story.

Journalistic coverage

I am all for journalistic news coverage, blogs, etc. They generally cover issues of inconsistent statements and themes in a broad context. I do not have an issue with this type of activism at all, in fact I encourage it.

Book

A book is an entirely different concept, gives the author an opportunity to misinterpret and mislead. Readers will assume that I have had a personal input into the way it was written. It has the scope to go into detail about my sexual assaults and I am not prepared to entrust that or give my consent to a man who I don’t even know to tell that story on my behalf.

Social media attack

This attack originated with Daniel Walker, when he took dissatisfaction with me notifying him privately in messenger that I would not give him consent to write a book about me. Then he retaliated publicly and misled his followers to attack me, hoping to overrule me with support for the book from his followers. He wrote his public statement in response to my private refusal to give him consent to write a book about my testimony at the RC. It was extremely manipulative of him to NOT tell his followers that it was BCG who had the issue. I attribute the blame for my recent social media attack to Daniel Walker.

Daniel Walker’s own actions justify why I don’t want him having the privilege of writing a book about me. He demonstrated that he is the type of person who is prepared to do anything he wants to get his own way, regardless of the cost to others. Besides, I do not want him rehashing my sexual assaults when he clearly has no respect or empathy for survivors. Ironically, Daniel Walker’s dismissive treatment of me, reminds me of the way the elders treated me.

John Cedars and Michael Spengler joined in on the attack after they knew that BCG was the person objecting they all advocated that my story is fair game. Yes, I privately messaged them to correct and some facts to Daniel’s public spiel.

Although Kristina Hibsham Berger claimed she was a psychologist, she was dismissive and rude after I privately messaged her to explain that I was BCG. Nancy Adams told me, ‘to get a life and mind my own business’ and backed these comments and added more negative comments about me after I privately messaged her to defend myself and explain that I was BCG.

John Cedars labelled me as “irrational” and “unreasonable”. Interestingly, I have not met nor spoken to either John Cedars or any of these people, but I suppose John Cedars could have made that assumption purely on the fact that I am a woman, or because I couldn’t control myself when I gave evidence at the Commission. All the above-named people, have no regard for me my values or the harm they were perpetuating to other survivors.

Please re listen to my testimony on YouTube. I ask you to be that judge of whether you think that I am “irrational” and “unreasonable”, and make your own mind up.

Ultimately, I believe Daniel Walker’s intentions were not “pure”, nor were they aligned with my values and reasons for coming forward.

My values

I think we can turn this social media attack into an opportunity to establish some ground rules for the ex Jw community and how they treat other people and survivors. First and foremost, survivors need our protection, especially when they have bravely found the strength to come forward.

My main purpose of going to the Commission was to change our secular laws to hold the JWs accountable by exposing their responses to CSA. This will damage them legally, damage them financially, and ultimately hold the organisation accountable.

My second purpose, was to help and advocate for survivors to come forward. So, they can begin taking back their power and their voices to expose their perpetrators. I have personally found that the process is scary as hell, but it is also empowering. I believe this process takes the guilt and shame away from the survivor and puts it back on the perpetrators where it belongs.

The practical effect of supporting survivors at all costs, means that more people will come forward to report, this process diminishes the opportunity for those perpetrators to reoffend. Which will ultimately protect more children. I believe that it will have a greater capacity to protect more children than Daniel Walker’s book rehashing my information that I have already given to the Commission.

I was given the pseudonym BCG to protect the identity of my sisters, but I do have a plan to go public around the end of the year. The main reason I want to go public is to show other survivors that I am not ashamed, or guilty for my abuse. I want to encourage them to come forward, but if we have ex Jws attacking them, there is no way I will do this. The damage of being taken advantage of by the people you are trying to help is truly soul crushing. I do not want anyone to feel the feelings of betrayal, that I felt as result of Daniel Walker’s manufactured social media attack.

Please make the ex Jw community a safer place for survivors. The bigger picture is that recent public attack sends a message to other survivors. It says, “if you come forward we will use you, and your story is fair game, we have the right to take the details of your sexual assaults and use it without your consent”, its all ok, as long as we justify that the purpose is for destroying the WT.

We need change

John Cedars, Daniel Walker and their followers have set the standard on how survivors should be treated – when they attacked me, they made me their poster child. This recent social media attack is a very clear example of how you will be currently be treated. This has to change if we are going to make real progress, we have to stop allowing these people to get away with whatever they think they are entitled to do. My suggestion is that, if these people want to act like that, they should go back to the religion, where that kind of behaviour is tolerated. It should not rule in the ex Jw community. We have left the religion because we have had enough of men, acting as the Governing Body and elders who take liberties with our rights leaving us little alternative other than to blindly follow. Well now, we each have a personal choice to decide what values we want to follow.

I would also like you to know that John Cedars also personally attacked Alexandra James, a friend of mine for associating with me and supporting me. I thought this behaviour was a JW thing, can’t believe it still exists on the outside. John Cedars made a lot of ludicrous accusations to the effect that I am being controlled or influenced. Let me be really clear, my message, purpose and values for speaking out at the Royal Commission have been developed over the years, since I was assaulted as a result of being mistreated.

As a result of going through the criminal trials I quickly learned that approaching things legally was the best option because it caused the MOST damage. Eventually, I began a law degree so I could understand the laws and how the religion is getting away with what they do. I know that this works, look at the impact of choosing to take our (BCB inclusive) story to the Commission. My values have never changed, and it just so happens that Alexandra James, Australian & NZ Ex JWs group and the Avenger of Justice (on Reddit) have the same values as me.

How can you show your support?

This attitude that started the social media attack needs to be swiftly eradicated from the ex JW community. We NEED to unite and protest LOUDLY and CLEARLY against John Cedars, Daniel Walker and their followers so they are not mistaken about what you value.

If you feel you have the same values as me, please support me, by writing to them on their Facebook wall or in a private message and tell them that their behaviour was not, is not, nor will it ever be ok. Stand with me to protect the vulnerable and bring some unity to the ex Jw community.

If we have respect for each other, I believe that we can make a bigger impact because we stand united. Otherwise we are treating each other no different to the way we were treated in the Jehovah’s Witness religion.

These ‘arrogant at anything cost activists’ need to know that respect for other people and survivors COMES FIRST, then we can stand united to take out the WT Don’t worry I have a few new plans.

Thank you for your support, it is deeply appreciated. Please forward this to your friends.

Ps. Alexandra James is a friend of mine, please see her support of me at: “Activism Should Never Be At The Expense Of The Victims

Warmest Regards,
BCG

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For more information and background regarding this matter, please see, “Activism Should Never Be At The Expense Of The Victims.”

Daniel Walker has since offered an “apology” to BCG, who has not accepted it. Please read her statement in response at, “Public Statement of “BCG” In Response to Daniel Walker’s Apology.” Read my personal statement in response at, “My Personal Response to Daniel Walker’s Apology to Victim “BCG””

Lloyd Evans has offered an “apology” to BCG, who has not accepted it. Please read her statement on the matter at, “Public Statement of “BCG” and Response to Lloyd Evans’ Apology.” Read my response to Lloyd Evans’ apology at, “My Personal Response to Lloyd Evans’ Apology to Victim “BCG”

Please also note “My Personal Response to Lloyd Evans Calling Me a “Regressive Activist’

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