ETAN: Timor Sexual Abuse Case an Opportunity for Justice and Healing /: Kazu Abuzu Seksuál mak Oportunidade ba Justisa no Tratamentu

Tetum follows English: Kazu Abuzu Seksuál mak Oportunidade ba Justisa no Hadi'a-an

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Sexual Abuse Case an Opportunity for Justice and Healing

Topu Honis orphanage in Oecusse

Topu Honis orphanage in Oecusse. Photo from SVD Timor-Leste.

March 8, 2021-The East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) extends its solidarity to all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. We honor those with the courage to speak up about the violence they have suffered, whether in Timor-Leste, the U.S., or elsewhere. Only by confronting these ongoing everyday horrors directly can we make the world we share safe for everyone.

The dramatic sexual abuse case has ignited important public discussions both within Timor-Leste and among international solidarity circles about topics that are too often avoided or taboo: child sexual abuse, domestic violence by clergy members, pedophilia, patriarchal power, and the abuse of power by trusted leaders.

Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, Daschbach was ordained as a Catholic priest in the U.S. in 1964. Two years later, his order, the Chicago-based Society of the Divine Word (SVD), sent him to the island of Timor. In 1992, he established the Topu Honis orphanage in Oecusse, the Timor-Leste enclave where he spent over 50 years, including years under a brutal Indonesian occupation and East Timorese independence struggle, as a priest.

We sincerely hope that this case will bring attention and help people understand a horrific problem that is too often hidden or ignored, not only in Timor-Leste, but around the world. ETAN was formed 30 years ago to work together with East Timorese people to make justice and safety real for everybody in that country. ETAN will continue to monitor the case as it proceeds through court systems and society.

In 2018, after receiving reports of problems at the orphanage, the Vatican launched an investigation, during which Daschbach admitted to his long-standing sexual predation of children. The church expelled Daschbach, then 82 years old, from the priesthood, finding that he had committed systematic sexual abuse of girls as young as eight years old who lived with him in the orphanage.

In 2020, Timor-Leste prosecutors indicted Daschbach on 14 counts of sexual abuse of minors, child pornography and domestic violence. This, Timor-Leste’s first church-related sexual abuse case, is slowly winding its way through the justice system. A federal prosecutor in San Francisco has also indicted Daschbach for wire fraud, because he allegedly received contributions to his orphanage based on fraudulent information.

After a year of Daschbach and some of his powerful supporters trying to evade normal pre-trial restrictions in such a serious case, the formal trial in Timor-Leste began in Oecusse on February 22. At the request of defense attorneys, the proceedings were suspended until March 22.

As an international solidarity organization that has long advocated for justice, human rights, and the rule of law, ETAN views this case as extremely serious and important.

ETAN stands in solidarity with Timor-Leste’s justice system, which, like most institutions in that new nation, is gradually becoming more effective. We appreciate and support the strength and commitment of those working within the justice system to ensure a fair process which protects the safety of the victims, the rights of the accused, and the careful consideration of all evidence, without interference from the media or those in positions of power.

ETAN applauds the bravery of the women and girls who have come forward to provide testimony against Daschbach about the abuse they experienced as children under his care. Many of them are orphans – perhaps the most vulnerable. We condemn any and all threats against the women, their families, and their supporters. Their stories are triggering traumatic memories among many sexual abuse and domestic violence survivors, and particularly the many Timorese girls and women who suffered sexual violence under the Indonesian military. Their stories are also a necessary and critical step in the process of healing and ending abuse.

ETAN can help connect people who would like to financially support work against sexual abuse in Timor-Leste with appropriate recipients of their support.

ETAN is an international solidarity group formed in the U.S. in 1991 to support the East Timorese struggle for self-determination. Today, it works to support justice and human rights for Timor-Leste, West Papua and Indonesia. www.etan.org

see also Lao Hamutuk: Ex-Priest Richard Daschbach charged with sexually abusing children Eis-padre Richard Daschbach akuza ba abuzu seksu l hasoru labarik feto sira (Provides links to key documents and media coverage in multiple languages.)

Kazu Abuzu Seksuál mak Oportunidade ba Justisa no Hadi'a-an

Rede Asaun ba Timor-Leste no Indonézia (ETAN) hato’o solidariedade ba vítima no sobrevivente sira hotu husi violénsia doméstika no seksuál. Ami onra sira ne’ebé barani atu ko’alia kona-ba violénsia ne’ebé sira sofre, inklui sira iha Timor-Leste, EUA ka fatin seluk. Só bainhira ita hasoru krime aat sira-ne’e ne’ebé kontinua loro-loron Só liu husi konfrontasaun beibeik hasoru krime aat loro-loron nian, mak ami bele halo ita-nia mundu seguru ba ema hotu.

Kazu abuzu seksuál no drama husi kazu ne’e mak hamosu diskusaun públiku ne’ebé importante iha sosiedade Timor-Leste no iha solidariedade internasionál kona-ba tópiku sira ne’ebé dala barak demais ema evita ka haree nu’udar tabu hanesan: abuzu seksuál kontra labarik; violénsia doméstika husi sira ne’ebé servisu iha igreja laran; pedofilia; kbiit patriarkál no abuzu kbiit husi lider sira ne’ebé hetan fiar boot husi públiku.

Moris iha Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Daschbach sai padre Katólika iha EUA iha tinan 1964. Tinan rua liubá, ninia orden SVD haruka nia ba Timór. Iha tinan 1992, nia harii Topu Honis nu’udar fatin ba labarik kiak sira. Durante liu husi tinan lima-nulu, inklui okupasaun Indonesia ne’ebé brutál no Timor-oan sira nia luta ba independénsia, nu’udar padre nia akompańa populasaun Oecusse nian.

Husi neon, ami espera katak kazu ne’e bele lori atensaun ba – no ajuda ema atu komprende - problema boot no aat tebes ne’ebé dala barak subar ka ema koko atu la haree, la’ós de’it iha Timor-Leste maibé iha mundu tomak. ETAN harii tinan tolu-nulu liubá hodi servisu hamutuk ho Timoroan sira hodi asegura Timor-Leste sai fatin seguru no justu ba Timoroan hotu. ETAN sei kontinua tau matan ba kazu ne’e tuir ninia prosesu liuhosi Tribunal no mós sosiedade.

Iha tinan 2018, tanba simu informasaun kona-ba problema sira iha Topu Honis, Vatikanu hahú investigasaun no iha prosesu investigasaun ne’e, Daschbach fó-sai katak durante tinan barak ona nia halo duni tuir akuzasaun – nia hakbesik no halo abuzu seksuál ho labarik sira. Igreja hasai Daschbach nu’udar padre; tempu ne’ebá nia idade mak tinan 82, ho konkluzaun katak nia halo abuzu seksuál ho sistemátiku ba labarik feto sira, balun ho idade hanesan tinan ualu, ne’ebé moris ho nia iha Topu Honis.

Iha tinan 2020, Prokuradória Timor-Leste mak akuzasaun formál krime 14 inklui abuzu seksuál hasoru labarik, pornografia labarik no violénsia doméstika. Kazu ne’e mak kazu abuzu seksuál dahuluk ne’ebé liga ba igreja, no agora sei la’o neineik iha sistema justisa nian. Prokuradória iha San Francisco, EUA mós fó-sai akuzasaun formál krime fraude eletróniku kontra Daschbach; tuir akuzasaun nia simu kontribuisaun ba Topu Honis bazeia informasaun laloos.

Durante tinan ida Daschbach ho apoiante balu ne’ebé forte koko atu sees husi restriksaun normál sira ba ema ho akuzasaun grave hanesan ne’e husi Tribunál. Kazu foin hahú iha Tribunál iha Oecusse iha loron 22 fevreiru. Tanba pedidu husi advogadu defensór sira, Tribunal suspende to’o loron 22 Marsu.

Nu’udar organizasaun ba solidariedade international ne’ebé kleur ona halo advokasia ba justisa, direitus umanus no estadu direitu, ETAN haree kazu ne’e sériu no importante tebetebes.

ETAN hato’o solidariedade ba sistema justisa Timor-Leste nian, ne’ebé, hanesan instituisaun barak iha nasaun foun ne’e, sai efetivu liu ho tempu no esperiénsia. Ami rekońese no suporta forsa no kompromisu husi sira-ne’ebé servisu iha sistema justisa nia laran hodi asegura prosesu justu ne’ebé proteje seguransa vítima nian, direitu arguidu nian no konsiderasaun di’ak ba evidénsia tomak ne’ebé iha, lahó interferénsia husi media ka husi ema sira ne’ebé iha podér polítika.

ETAN louva feto sira nia barani hato’o testemuńu kontra Daschbach sobre abuzu ne’ebé sira hetan nu’udar labarik iha ninia uma, balun oan-kiak ne’ebé vulneravel liu. Ami kondena kualkér ameasa no ameasa hotu kontra feto sira, família sira ka ema ne’ebé apoia sira. Sira nia istória sira bele halo hamosu fali trauma memória iha vítima barak husi abuzu sexual no violasaun doméstika, no partikulármente feto klosan no feto timoroan sira ne’ebé sofre violasaun sexual iha okupasaun militár Indonézia. Sira nia istória nesesáriu tebes nudár etapa kritiku ba prosesu tratamentu no hapara abuzu.

Karik ema hakarak ajuda fó osan ba kampańa kontra abuzu seksuál iha Timor-Leste, ETAN bele ajuda halo ligasaun ho sira-ne’ebé apropriadu.

ETAN mak grupu solidariedade internasionál ne’ebé harii iha EUA iha tinan 1991 hodi apoia luta Timoroan nian ba auto-determinasaun. Agora, ETAN servisu hodi apoia justisa no direitus umanus iha Timor-Leste, West Papua no Indonézia. www.etan.org

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