By Gwen Manickam
KUCHING — Majlis Pembangunan Sosial Sarawak hosted a webinar on Paedophile Crimes: Are our children protected? (Jenayah Pedofil: Selamatkah anak-anak kita pada hari ini?) recently via FaceBook live.
The objective was to raise awareness and educate parents, caregivers, teachers and counsellors on understanding paedophile sexual criminal threats to children, and on steps to protect children faced with any form of sexual criminal threat.
The speakers included DSP Jennifer Atok of the Criminal Investigation Department (D11), PDRM IPK Sarawak; Dr Ng Boon Seng of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Department, Sarawak General Hospital; Rohana Binti Isnawi of the Child Protection Branch, Community Welfare Department (JKMS); and Gill Raja representing Sarawak Women for Women Society. Also on the panel was Archbishop of Kuching, Most Rev Dr Simon Poh, representing the Association of Churches in Sarawak (ACS).
“Mentioning the Catholic Church does raise some eyebrows, especially when media tends to highlight cases of paedophiles in the Church,” said Archbishop Simon.
“It is important to keep some perspective: the statistics indicate the issue involved two per cent of clergy worldwide. In any case, facing the reality of past abuses has enabled the Church today to respond positively with safeguarding principles and training in place.”
In Matthew 19:14, it says, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them.” We are also taught (in Exodus 20:12) that children should honour their parents and (in Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21) that parents are advised not to provoke their children to resentment. Therefore, it should be reciprocal, and parents should raise their children with the training and teachings of the Lord, said the archbishop.
“I just want to add to what the earlier panellists presented – that whenever an abuse takes place, and the abused child goes to tell his or her parents that someone known to the family has abused him or her … our immediate reaction is not to believe the child. We might say: ‘Don’t tell lies’ or ‘You are talking nonsense’. This is a very wrong adult response. The child may never speak up again about the abuse. Many survivors have said that the greatest hurt was not from the abuser but from their own parents, who didn’t believe and thus rejected him/her when he/she came for help. “Parents, adults, teachers, and religious leaders: please do not dismiss any child. We are to listen and seek help, refer them to counsellors and to the authorities,” said the archbishop.
The paedophile has coached the child to never speak out, to keep it secret. So when an abused child comes to an adult for help and is not believed, it is a great tragedy. It is within this culture of silence that the paedophile continues to abuse more children. Case in point, hardly any complaints were heard from children abused by the most wanted paedophile in Lundu, Sarawak, who has now been arrested and sentenced.
“Please listen to any child who comes to you to tell you of his/her abuse. Listen and refer.
“As we now have a greater understanding of the crime of paedophilia and child abuse, we need an institutional and societal response to fight this crime. While focusing on the family is important, we must remember children are not always in the family home – they are also entrusted to day care centres, nurseries, kindergartens, schools, tuition centres, orphanages and sport coaching centres. These children also go to houses of worship, for church activities and religious instruction. Churches see all children as a gift from God who need to be safeguarded and protected.
“For my part as archbishop, I have requested for the following in our churches, catechism, kindergartens, mission schools, institutions where children under 18 years attend.
“All who are working with children are to sign a declaration and pledge that they have never been convicted of any crime of paedophilia and they are committed to safeguarding all children and vulnerable persons under their care, and to report any cases should it be known by them.
“By signing this declaration, the Church is sending a strong message to paedophiles that they are not welcome to work or volunteer in churches and schools. We aim to prevent the May 2016 incident involving UK national Richard Huckle, who targeted children while posing as a volunteer working with Christian communities in KL. This has positively begun a paradigm shift in the mindset to consciously ensure that churches and schools are safe environments for children,” said Archbishop Simon.
