Can Jehovah's Witnesses sue me for this?

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I am a writer who is working on a fictional short story about a young man who is an ex-Jehovah's Witness who left the religion after being abused by a pedophile elder at his former congregation. I am not sure yet how I will develop the synopsis but I might write it so that for a long time no one believes him and the elder is the one the boy's parents and everyone else protects and sides with and then even after he comes up with proof of what happened nothing is still done about it, or the most that is done is that the elder is excommunicated but never reported to the police. The victim might tell the police and then he is treated like a pariah by the whole congregation...and then he might attempt suicide, take his rage out on another kid, almost kill an abusive therapist who demands he "get over it", etc., but I just want to make sure the Governing Body won't attempt to sue me for slander. Even though I know there are numerous reports about these things I know they don't want anyone further exposing them.

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@SharpRose,

You should consult an attorney. But for what seems pretty obvious, you are indicating that you are writing on a fictional short story. Unless you're basing it on actual events and are not trying to disguise dates, personal details, and events that parallel really closely to any actual events? I suspect you'll be fine.

Still, you should consult an attorney if you really are cutting your fictional story too close to what conceivably happened in the real world. Are you trying to get it published?

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@SharpRose,

Given all the strange books written about the Catholic Church (Davinci Code anyone?) I doubt there is any room to sue you.

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@engineer,

But I suspect the characters and events of the OP's story might not stray far enough from events and persons the author actually knows about in the real world. Hence the question. And it also depends on what country the OP is situated in. In the UK, it's easier to win a libel suit against a writer than say the US. But a literary agent who also is an attorney would be the best person to consult than a random non-legal forum.

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@tsarstepan,

JV's would be stupid to sue on whatever grounds they think they can make a case. Itd be worse for them to call attention to it unless it becomes a best seller when they can have the author declare that this is , of course , fiction and
"any similarities to people living or dead is purely coincidental"

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@engineer,

agreed, I recall some real humdingers about the Catholics or some Amish sects, or evenChristian SCientists. I remember on calle "Hitler;sPope" about Popse Pious 11th

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Did you say Genova's Hitlist or Witless?

Any similarities to messiahs living or dead is farcically coincidental.

The plot is as hackneyed and dead as the dog it seeks to impugn.

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