The Charity Commission has expressed its concern that a convicted paedophile and member of the Manchester Moston Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was reportedly allowed to question two of his victims – aged five and ten at the time of the offences – at a meeting held by elders of the church.

Jonathan Rose, 40, was jailed for nine months for the offences and the two women, now in their 20’s and 30’s and calling for Rose to be barred from the church, were apparently subjected to warnings about bearing false witness (lying) and then to questions related to whether they had encouraged Rose, or enjoyed the experience.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, unlike judges and juries, believe that incidents must be observed by at least two people to be credible, something that is almost never going to happen in cases of child abuse.