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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-07-05, Page 5THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 5, 1989. PAGE 5. Prosecutor says ‘Time to achieve justice for children ’ BY BONNIE GROPP It’s out there and it’s happening more often that we can imagine. There were 45,000 cases of child molestation reported last year in the U.S., while sources say the guesstimate would be closer to between 1 and 2 million. It is a problem that society can no longer ignore and as a society it is time for us to ‘achieve justice for our children’ says Detroit prosecu­ tor Paul Bruno who lectured at a seminar in Goderich this month. Lieutenant Jack Shepherd, who is Commanding Officer of the Investi­ gative Support Section of the Michigan State Police and who qualifies as an expert witness in the area of child abuse was also lecturing and maintains that par­ ents and people must learn to talk to children and learn to recognize a potentially dangerous person. Lieutenant Shepherd provided practical advice on how to talk to victims of child abuse and how to identify child molesters. According to Lieutenant Shep­ herd, Pedophiles usually have an identifiable sexual preference with regard to children, and will fre­ quent areas like parks, play­ grounds, or pools that attract youngsters. They will seek employ­ ment or volunteer work involving children and relate better to child­ ren than to adults. Their interest is usually genuine and they will pay more than a normal amount of attention to a child in their com­ pany. They will pursue children by eye contact, sneeking furtive glan­ ces or staring at the genital areas. Pedophiles will photograph the child and will collect child porno­ graphy for self-gratification. They may use narcotics to lower the victim’s inhibitions and will usually give the child presents or money. They will rationalize the involve­ ment with the child, emphasizing the positive impact they are having on him and repressing the harm they are doing. They will often portray the child as the sexual aggressor and will tak about them like an adult would talk about a lover or spouse. The pedophile may go to great lengths to conceal rhe illicit activity and is usually intelligent enough to recog­ nize his personal problem and understand the severity of it. He is likely to be non-violent and unlikely to have any other problems with the law. The pedophile is often a middle-aged man who is single and was himself molested at an early age. Lieutenant Shepherd explained that children make ideal victims. “They are naturally curious and easily led. Also, some have a strong need for attention and affection. He states that the pedo­ phile will seek these affection- starved children out ‘like radar’.’’ Other reasons children are ideal victims according to the Lieutenant are because they defy parents, are taught to respect and obey adults, and not to tattle-tale. “Parents have a tendency to not really listen to what a child is saying. For example, after finding out that a child had been molested by his teacher, his parents asked him why he hadn’t told them. The youngster said that he had. He had told them he didn’t want to go anymore.’’ And there’s another problem. “Children have a different way of looking at things,’’ Mr. Bruno said. He referred to a Little League ball Children see things differently game when the third base coach told the youngster to run home, run home! “So he did,’’ stated Mr. Bruno, “all the way home.’’ Lieutenant Shepherd pointed out that children are told to be seen and not heard. “The best preven­ tion for child abuse is the ‘nuclear family’; a family that is affection­ ate, caring and able to communi­ cate openly.’ Both Mr. Bruno and Lieutenant Shepherd say that another problem is that children are poor witnesses and the courts really don’t like to touch a child under five years of age as a witness. However, there are exceptions. Lieutenant Shep­ herd remembers an instance when the father said he had planned to stop abusing the child when she reached the age of five because she would be a better witness. “Unfortunately for him,’’ Lieuten­ ant Shepherd smiled, “she was an excellent witness at the age of four.’’ Yet, he and Mr. Bruno have both seen 16 year olds who are just not ready to testify. Lieutenant Shepherd stresses that the ‘vigilante attitude’ can’t work either. If a father threatens to kill anyone who touches his child, the child may be afraid to say anything for that very reason. He tries to protect the man from his father, and his father from commit­ ting a serious crime. Lieutenant Shepherd also de­ monstrated that children are faced with an extremely embarrassing situation, which also hinders them from reporting it. “How many people in a large group would come forward and tell in great detail about their last sexual experi­ ence?” he queried. “When it comes down to it, is that not what we’re asking that child to do?” “We need to find ways to break through that”, he continued. Children have a great fear of being blamed or punished for what they feel they have done. They may have possibly accepted a gift after the involvement began. “As for fear of punishment, what child when asked if he broke the dish or smashed the window, puts up his hand and says “I did it”? asked Lieutenant Shepherd. For male victims the situation is even more difficult according to the Lieutenant. “He is afraid of exposure. Others, his peers, will label him queer, sicko, or any number of things.” This is referred to as the John Wayne Syndrome. Boys are to keep a stiff upper lip through things like this. There may be implied or actual threats to the child from the molester. It is not a gentle process and the child may suffer guilt because it is possible he has built an allegiance to this person who has been at times kind. A bond has been built and the child doesn’t want to see his friend hurt. Ignorance and innocence is another issue that makes prosecu­ tion and protection difficult. “Nine­ ty-eight percent of the cases where the child is under five will never be reported,” states Lieutenant Shep­ herd. “They don’t even know it’s wrong a lot of times.” There is double pain when the perpetrator is a family member, which unfortunately is usually the case. There is the pain in knowing that a person you thought you could trust would do this to you, while the other person you thought you could trust (mother) did nothing to stop it or help. To further demonstrate this re- Letter to the editor MPP responds to reader’s letter THE EDITOR, I am writing this letter in response to a letter which appeared in last week’s Wingham Advance- Times by Margaret Mann of the Wingham and District Nursing Home Needs Committee. I believe the following information will prove of interest to residents of the Brussels area, as well. Since meeting with the commit­ tee one month ago, my office has consulted on a regular basis with both the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Community and Social "Services in an attempt to address the needs of those requiring exten­ ded care in Huron County, and specifically in the Brussels and Wingham areas. Mr. MacGowan, owner of Brook­ haven Nuring Home in Wingham and Callander Nursing Home in prehensible act or sordid, sexual deviance Lieutenant Shepherd played a cassette tape made by a 13 year old girl while her father abused her. The tape recorder was hidden under the bed on the advice of a crisis counsellor. One particu­ lar piece of dialogue showed her desperation and frustration. She asks her father for another sister so he would leave her alone. Studies have proven, said Lieu­ tenant Shepherd, that the majority of child molestation cases are committed by the natural father. A study done on 365 adults who were molested as children came up with the following results. Eighty-nine of the victims were female and 11 were male. Of those only 18 per cent ever reported the incidents. The average age when molestation started was seven and a half years of age while the average age when it stopped was 13. The natural father was the perpetrator in 142 of the cases while a brother committed the act in 34 of the cases. Uncles or cousins were responsible for 39 and grand­ fathers for nine. Step-fathers or other step-relations were account­ able for a total of 23 of the incidents PAULBRUNO Detroit Prosecutor and family friends were the perpe­ trators in 47 of the violations. Strangers committed the abuses in only four cases. Nine mothers and three female friends were also included in the list of molesters. Lieutenant Shep­ herd states that in the case of a female pedophile they tend to be either the “older, religious fana­ tic” or the overly seductive mother. “The female will probably have been molested herself at an early age and fixates on this. However, this is not the rule, but does seem to be a common denominator,” he said. Ten per cent of those involved in the study were molested as child- Brussels, was advised by the Ministry of Health when he assum­ ed ownership of the homes in 1983 that he must undertake certain Mabel’s Continued from page 4 chuckling about the story in the paper where the member of parlia­ ment had a credit card sent to his dog. It just showed, the Nf.P. said, that the companies were too lax giving out credit cards. Billie says he figures the M.P. was pretty lucky. “With my luck trie dog would have run up $500 worth of bills for dog food before I got the card away from him.” FRIDAY: “Have you noticed,” Tim was saying this morning, “that ever since they arrested that Blue JACKSHEPHERD Michigan Police Lieutenant ren by more than one person. It could have started with parents and then moved on through to uncles, brothers, grandparents, or cousins, says Lieutenant Shepherd. He also says it’s important to note that sexual molestation does not necessarily mean the actual act of intercourse. Of the surveyed victims the majority were fondled either above or below the waist, while others were subjected to oral sex, or attempted or simulated intercourse. A very small number ‘tvere forced to take part in anal sex. At the time of the violation up until its discovery the child will go through many phases as will his family. This is referred to by those who deal with them as Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome. The first phase is secrecy and helplessness. The next phase is where the syndrome gets its name, accommodation. “The child will allow it to occur over and over again as a natural part of their life. ‘This is what I have to do to get along in this family’ ”, explains Lieutenant Shepherd. Then there is the delayed, un­ convincing disclosure. “This is where they will say that it was the aunt of a friend of a friend of a cousin of a friend,” says the Lieutenant. “The defense always has a field day with this.” Next comes the retractions. “I made it up, it didn’t happen.” Lieutenant Shepherd says this is to be expected. Then he said there is the transference of effect, where the family begins to realize the difficult position they are in and the stigma they will face. They start to unravel, forgiving the perpetrator who has promised to seek help and brought gifts to show how sorry he is and blaming the police for bringing it into the open. For anyone with children or if Continued on page 18 renovations to bring the facilities into compliance with the Nursing Homes Act and Regulations. Continued on page 15 an illegal gun, the Blue Jays have been on a losing streak? Do you suppose he was the designated hit man, holding a gun to the heads of some of those jokers so they’d perform?” You know, Billie Bean said, somebody should have done Pete Rose a favour and named him coach of the Blue Jays a couple of years back. That team is so unpredictable he’d never have been tempted to waste his money betting on them and he wouldn’t be in trouble with the commissioner.