The Library

The Library

Author: The Telegraph July 12, 2022 Duration: 39:40

The reporters hit one dead end after another. They’re starting to lose hope that they’ll ever land the story, when they get a breakthrough. A private library on the coast of England could hold answers they need.  

Read the Investigations team's notebook here: www.telegraph.co.uk/callbethel |

For 30 days’ free access to The Telegraph: www.telegraph.co.uk/bethelpodcast |

If you have any information that could help the investigation, you can email the team on callbethel@telegraph.co.uk


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Behind the familiar sight of volunteers offering magazines on street corners lies a complex and often closed world. Call Bethel, a documentary series from The Telegraph's Investigations team, is the result of a year-long pursuit into the Jehovah's Witnesses, specifically examining their internal handling of child abuse allegations. This isn't a theoretical discussion; it's a forensic audio journey built on documents, data, and the difficult testimonies of former members who have come forward. You'll hear the reporters' meticulous process as they follow a paper trail and confront a meticulously private religious organization with its own legal framework. The podcast immerses you in the tension between faith and accountability, exploring how a system designed to protect a community can sometimes fail the most vulnerable within it. Each episode feels like sitting alongside the journalists as they piece together a puzzle, revealing the human stories behind the headlines and the challenging questions that arise when insular belief meets secular law. This is a deep, sometimes unsettling look at power, secrecy, and the search for justice within a global faith, making for essential listening for anyone interested in the intersections of modern religion and society.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 6

Call Bethel
Podcast Episodes
The Unknown Boy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:21
The end of the investigation is in sight. Doors open, documents arrive in the post, and the final pieces of the puzzle start to fit together. Read the Investigations team's notebook here: www.telegraph.co.uk/callbethel |…
Paper Trails [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:52
The idea that the Jehovah’s Witnesses keep a database of abuse allegations isn’t a complete long shot. Tireless lawyers in America and Australia have seen evidence of it in their countries. The reporters discover leads t…
Missing Pieces [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:13
A landmark legal battle. A fight for documents. The missing pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The Investigations team at the Telegraph speak to three women who have all pursued justice against their abusers. Read the…
The Tip-off [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:13
In August 2021, an email arrives in the Telegraph's investigations inbox claiming the Jehovah's Witnesses have a hidden database of alleged abusers. The reporters start on the trail.Read the Investigations team's noteboo…
Introducing Call Bethel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53
Brave whistleblowers. A trail of data. A secret system for dealing with allegations of child abuse. Follow the Telegraph's Investigations team on their year-long hunt into the Jehovah's Witnesses. First episode out on Tu…