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Jehovah’s Witness rapist Mark Sewell has not been ordered out of the organisation while victim Karen Morgan has, it has been claimed.

Karen, who has waived her anonymity, was abused by the paedophile as a teenager.

She was kicked out of the church aged 17 for having a boyfriend.

Sewell not 'defellowshipped'

The 39-year-old alleges Sewell still has not been “disfellowshipped” despite being jailed for 14 years last year. A Jehovah’s spokesman refused to deny this.

“Even if an abuser admits it, as long as they repent, they might not get any discipline at all,” Karen said.

“If they say, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again’ they are left alone and the congregation is never told.”

Guilty of eight sex offences

Sewell was found guilty of eight sex offences including a rape that left his adult victim pregnant and the sex abuse of a 12-year-old girl.

“In some cases an abuser might be disfellowshiped for three years but then brought back,” Karen said.

“But no-one is told why he was disfellowshipped.”

Sewell was once kicked out for drunkenness and a bad attitude. He was then welcomed back.

“Even though he has been found guilty of sex abuse he has still not been disfellowshipped,” Karen said.

“He is still a witness. I know he’s been writing to Jehovah’s Witnesses because I have been told.”

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“I have asked why he has not been disfellowshipped and they have not been able to give me an answer,” Karen, who was a member of the Barry congregation, said.

'It's a cult'

“The only answer I have had is ‘These things take time.’”

Karen was disfellowshipped as a teen because her boyfriend was not a Witness.

“I never went back and I am still disfellowshipped,” she said.

If she is in the street she is ignored by Witnesses.

“They won’t talk to me,” Karen said.

“But they are allowed to talk to him.

“That’s how stupid that rule is.”

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Karen said she asked the Barry Elders for a letter of apology for not believing her about Sewell. She has not had one.

Legal action

Karen and another Jehovah’s sex attack victim are attempting to sue the institution for what happened. The religion has already paid out millions of dollars in the US after being swamped in scandals.

“All I ever wanted them to do was say sorry,” Karen said.

“Why don’t they just apologise? They are supposed to believe in the bible.”

When articles about her were shared on the internet she was dubbed “an apostate.”

Ignored by family

Lloyd Evans, whose family hail from Wales, now runs website JWSurvey. His family have ignored him since he left the organisation.

He says what has happened within the organisations means questions need to be asked, as they have been of the Catholic Church.

“With the Catholic Church it seems to be the case that priests and people working for the church have abused their positions," he said. "But with witnesses it can be just a regular member of the congregation.”

Witnesses consider child abuse “first and foremost a sin and secondly a crime.”

“If a person in the congregation believes their daughter is being molested and the molester is in the congregation, rather than ring the police straight away, Jehovah’s are indoctrinated that they should not take their brother to court,” Lloyd said.

Elders are trusted

“They will ring elders and say ‘Such and such a person is molesting my daughter.’

“The elders will then look into it.”

Elders are trusted by Jehovah’s. Mark Sewell was an elder.

“If the person accused does not confess to the sin, and there are no other witnesses, you should leave matters in the Jehovah’s hands,” Lloyd said.

Civil cases against the Jehovah’s Witnesses could lead to other cases.

“There is the possibility that other victims will feel more able to come forward to try and bring legal claims and lawyers will feel there is a more prospect of success,” lawyer Anand Doobay said.

Evidence can come to light police did not know about.

“That can lead to police opening a criminal investigation,” Mr Doobay said.

There is no time limit on when a criminal investigation can start.

Positions of trust

A Jehovah’s Witness spokesman said: “We have tried to educate families to try and educate and protect their children, so that children can protect themselves if they find themselves in a situation.”

If Jehovah’s were found to have abused someone “if they are in a position of trust they would no longer have a position of trust.”

Asked why about the claims Sewell had not been kicked out of the Jehovah’s the spokesman insisted “we can’t comment on specific situations.”

“We don’t give out personal information,” he said.