After months of trial and deliberation by a jury in New York, wealthy British socialite, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted of crimes related to human trafficking, grooming and facilitating and enabling the sexual abuse of minors by her wealthy boyfriend, Jeffrey Epstein. She was the recruiter, pimp, human trafficker, and enabler. The 60-year-old Maxwell now faces a possible 65 years behind bars [note: media reports say the conviction is being challenged].
This conviction focuses attention on the persons who are the enablers. They are the agents who cover up of crimes committed by another against children. They fail to help, protect and report the sexual abuse of children.
Parents and relatives, even some teachers and social workers, are guilty of crimes of omission and failure in their mandated duty to act to protect sexually or physically abused children.
A school principal in Zambales, the Philippines, received a report of child sexual abuse but instead of referring the victim, call her Amber, for help the school principal summoned the mother to the office and informed her of Amber’s disclosure. The mother did not believe her husband could abuse their daughter but promised she would better protect her.
Months after, Amber was abused again by her father and she sought the assistance of her teacher who referred her to the municipal social worker, and police and a social worker referred the child to the protection and care of Preda Foundation home for abused girls.
The father will be charged in court but the principal must also be held to account and resign. The Department of Education must investigate. Amber is healing and recovering and studying continually.
They have to take a stand for the child victims, then their own vocation, profession,
priesthood and dignity and work for justice …
Another child victim, call her Beth, was raped by her half-brother who is a religious pastor, when she was 14. She was raped again by her adult nephew in the provincial town of San Marcelino. She complained to her parents and begged help. They knew of the abuse but ignored her and it happened again.
They considered their daughter to be their property, enabled the abuse and covered it up because the abusers were her half-brother and nephew. They should all be brought to justice. They knew about the abuse and allowed it.
It was only when Beth, in total desperation from rejection and trauma, tried to commit suicide that her parents brought her to the authorities in San Marcelino. The authorities did the right thing and referred Beth to the Preda home where she was welcomed and given support, understanding and a warm welcome in the family of children recovering from heinous crimes.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
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She immediately felt secure and free from the pain she suffered from rejection and the abuse she endured. Beth disclosed all her hardships and suffering and is now healing and recovering from her trauma.
As mentioned in previous articles, some in authority become enablers when they hide and cover up child sexual abuse by clerics.
This practice is repugnant and privately deplored and rejected by thousands of good, honourable dedicated priests and religious. They give their lives to serve justice, the poor and human dignity, and take a moral stand against child abuse. They rightly feel that their sacred vocation is sullied by the few paedophile priests who are coddled and protected.
That is not enough. They have to take a stand for the child victims, then their own vocation, profession, priesthood and dignity and work for justice even if it goes against the powerful who protect the paedophile priests.
They can, in total confidentiality, share with us at the Preda Foundation the basic information about the victim of abuse such as: who, what, when, and where, and we will do the rest. They can call me at +63 9228768621 and the child victims will be rescued and protected.
In the Diocese of Naval, Biliran, Father Kenneth Pius Hendricks [arrested in December 2018: Sunday Examiner, 16 December 2018], according to reports, is walking free, celebrating Holy Mass, protected and supported by the diocese.
Some allege that the local judiciary has been persuaded to not pursue the case against Hendricks , in which several altar boys had accused him of sexually abusing them.
A court in Cincinnati, Ohio, the United States, has issued an arrest warrant for him to stand trial in that country for the child abuse allegedly committed in Biliran, Naval. These crimes are also criminal acts in the United States since Hendricks is a citizen. Allegedly, the parents of the altar boys have been paid off by the Church authorities not to pursue their complaints against Hendricks.
We need to understand that some bishops and senior clergy, having enabled child abuse by failing to act against paedophile priests and allowing them to continue abusing children, live in fear of exposure. They apparently feel no anguish for the suffering of the child victims.
The practice of sending an abuser priest to a monastery or retreat house—or abroad—as happens in the Philippines, and paying off the parents of victims is their solution, all done by their intermediaries, lawyers impeding and obstructing the course of justice for children.
Antonio Cardinal Tagle said the Philippine Church deals with clerical child abuse internally. Pope Francis said that clerical child abuse must be reported to the civil authorities. However they, too, can be complicit in cover-up.
Some Church authorities cannot face the truth of their mistakes in covering up child abuse. They lack the fortitude to face the truth and endure the loss of face, humiliation, the shame, disgrace, loss of status, honour and prestige that they enjoy basking in the respect of public adulation and reverence. They can expect the loss of huge donations from the Catholic community. There would likely be large monetary compensation to be paid to the victims if there was a conviction of one of their priests or themselves in a court of law.
All should humble themselves and be washers of feet as Jesus taught by his example. The French bishops have said that they will sell Church property to pay the compensation due to the child abuse victims of priests.
Jesus of Nazareth said, “Whoever receives a child in my name receives me.” Demanding accountability and justice for child abusers, he said a millstone should be tied around the neck of a child abuser and he be thrown into the deep sea [Matthew 18:1-7].
Father Shay Cullen
www.preda.org
