The trustees of a Jehovah’s Witness congregation accused of letting a convicted paedophile question his victims have requested a review of the Charity Commission’s decision to open a statutory inquiry into the charity.

The six trustees of the Manchester New Moston Congregation filed the request for a review with the Charity Tribunal earlier this month, according to the register of cases.

The Commission announced in June that it had opened statutory inquiries into the congregation and the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain, the national body of the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Jonathan Rose, an elder of the New Moston congregation, was jailed for nine months for abusing two women when they were young girls, the Manchester Evening News has reported.

According to the paper, after his release in March a series of “disfellowship” meetings were held to decide whether Rose should remain a member of the organisation, in which the women had to recount their ordeal. At one meeting, Rose was present and allowed to ask questions.

The Commission is investigating whether the charities have adequate safeguarding procedures, but will not look at allegations of abuse, the regulator said.

The Commission said it has had “ongoing serious concerns” about the charities and had previously opened regulatory compliance cases, a less serious form of investigation, into the Watch Tower Bible in July 2013 and the New Moston congregation in December 2013.

Olusegun Tayo, Stephen Bailey, William Halls, Carl Jones, Stepehn Rowarth and Mark Flanagan lodged a request for a review of the Commission's decision on 16 July. They are listed as the regulator's website as the New Moston Congregation's trustees.

The trustees had said previously that they planned to challenge the regulator’s decision to open inquiries.

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