Violating The Rights of The Child; When "Faith" Violates the Faith in Human Rights
1. Violating The Rights of The Child
When “Faith” Violates The Faith In Human Rights
By: Bayan Waleed Shadaideh
For World Poverty and Human Rights (WPHR)
Harvard University
Spring 2010
2. “States Parties undertake to protect the child
from all forms of sexual exploitation and sexual
abuse. For these purposes, States Parties shall
in particular take all appropriate national,
bilateral and multilateral measures to prevent:
(a) The inducement or coercion of a child to
engage in any unlawful sexual activity;
(b) The exploitative use of children in
prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices;
(c) The exploitative use of children in
pornographic performances and materials.”
Article 34
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly
resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989
The Symbol of divine safety, morality, protection and faith; Priests have been recurrently
sexually violating children all over the world by using the power of faith, they have been
destroying the faith in the power of protecting our children, our human rights , our rights
for development and ultimately for the fantasy of justice..
“In North America, the allegations of crimes involve 11,000 abuses, perpetrated by
4,400 priests from the 1960s to the 1980s; damages so far amount to $2bn and
counting. Then emerged similarly stunning figures from just two Irish dioceses (with
more to come). Fresh allegations are coming to light virtually by the day, involving
countries as varied as Austria, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland.”
20 years of working on Child Rights and we have to endure such frightening facts that
shake the foundation of humanity and hope for a better tomorrow!
200 deaf children have been repeatedly sexually assaulted in Ireland almost 20 years ago,
by father Lawrence Murphy.
3. In Germany, the scandal started in late
January, when the rector of Canisius
College in Berlin admitted there had
been at least 50 alleged cases of sexual
abuse at the élite Jesuit
high school in the 1970s and '80s. The
charges came as a surprise; Catholics in
mainland Europe rarely challenge the
priesthood.
This has awakened the silence of the
world to the disaster when the case
was exposed recently, and finally we can hear the pain of those who were abused.
In general cases though including but not limited to the above cases, not all who were
molested report the abuse, over 30% of victims never disclose the experience to ANYONE. .
Raped by a priest when he was 14, Colm O'Gorman Presenter of the Panorama program
said: "What gets me is that it's the same story every time and every place. Bishops
appoint priests who they know have abused children in the past to new parishes and
new communities and more abuse happens."
Very True!
In his famous movie “Bad Education” filmmaker
Pedro Almodóvar takes a look at his own
adolescence as well as confronting the issue of sexual
misconduct in the Catholic Church
The skinny handsome boy was molested by the
priest, and as homosexual, drug addict adult he went
to visit the priest.
How is this close to the impact of those who were
sexually abused?
Difficulty in the transition to adulthood, is
more likely to suffer financial failure and
physical injury, and risk to fail in other areas
due to problem behaviors and outcomes of
the victimization.
4. Substance abuse problems. 70-
80% of sexual abuse survivors
report excessive drug and alcohol
use.
Among male survivors, more than
70% seek psychological treatment
for issues such as substance abuse
and attempted suicide. Males who
have been sexually abused are
more likely to violently victimize
others
Behavioral problems, particularly inappropriate
sexual behaviors.
More than 75% of teenage prostitutes have been
sexually abused.
Risk for being victims or perpetrators of felony assault
and domestic violence
Nearly 50% of women in prison state that they were
abused as children.
Over 75% of serial rapists report they were sexually
abused as youngsters.
An average serial child molester may have as many as
400 victims in his lifetime
Basically disabled and incapable of leading normal lives, deprived from even being
diagnosed as such for fear of not being accepted, and potentially turn into abusers as well.
“Feeling like a man, and adult, that passage of adulthood and feeling significant and
important was just not attainable to me” said sexually abused male in the Lisak Male
Survivor Interviews.
5. Not being related to poverty, this is a reminder of the call of Amartya Sen “Freedoms
depend on other determinants (other than GNP), such as social and economic arrangement,
as well as political and civil rights”
Stop it!
“Child abuse doesn’t go away, but 90 percent of
child abuse is preventable”
Karen Adams
Estimated Indirect Costs of Maltreatment =
$69 Billon (Total estimated cost of child abuse and
neglect in the United States. Chicago, Prevent Child
Abuse America & Edna
McConnell Clark Foundation)
History is repeating itself while we are working
on the Development of Human Rights within the
limitations and boundaries of the very limited
circle we have, and now we confront the power of
“Faith” to be the criminal. While it should be the
last resort of being the absolute safe haven we
turn to when in need.
Unlike any other form of power be it political or
financial this specific power is extremely intricate
for it is integral to the moral and ethical
foundation of justice.
References;
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1861760_1862212,00.html
http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/vatican-prostitution-ring-exposed/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/vaticancityandholysee/7521227/Pope-accused-
of-covering-up-abuse-of-200-boys.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125233937&sc=fb&cc=fp
http://www.unicef.org/rightsite/
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/male.html