The news in the Philippines these days is focused on impeachment, constitutional change, and other mundane political matters. The public, Congress, and government agencies are far from addressing the needs of children who are sexually and physically abused by relatives, human traffickers, and online predators, as well as the seeming social acceptance that allows such abuse to continue.
The country’s justice system needs reform. While many judges are working hard to deliver justice to child abuse victims, others are not. Some have overloaded court schedules, causing cases to languish for two to three years in some family courts. Such manufactured delays prolong the suffering of the victims. In a letter to the Preda Foundation in October 2023, Court Administrator Raul B. Villanueva said that out of 183 statutory family courts, only 106 were organized. These courts are clogged with many important cases. Child sexual abuse cases, however, involve traumatized children and need immediate attention and speedy justice. As the saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied.
Special children’s courts need to be established by law, staffed with highly trained prosecutors and judges to bring justice and healing to abused children. The conviction of rapists would serve as a strong deterrent to would-be abusers.
During a visit some years ago, Mama Fatima Singhateh, the United Nations special rapporteur for online child abuse and trafficking, urged the Philippines to pass a law establishing special children’s courts to hear and quickly resolve child abuse cases. It is hoped that children’s rights advocates in the Senate will work on this legislation.
Meanwhile, telecommunications corporations and internet service providers (ISPs) must be held accountable for the uncontrolled transmission of images of child sexual abuse from the Philippines to pedophiles overseas. Corporate policies mandating effective artificial intelligence-driven software are absent. Those who allow abuse to happen are as guilty as those who commit it.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reported that as many as 2 million Filipino children have experienced online sexual harassment and abuse. Due to stigma and fear of reprimand, most children do not report such abuse. With cheap mobile phones and low-cost internet access, the number of victims is likely to double or triple. Every child is vulnerable. Globally, the figures are sobering: one in three girls and one in five boys suffer sexual abuse.
What does it say about humanity when people abuse their own offspring? Humans, supposedly the most intelligent creatures on earth, often show very low moral values. We are a damaged species, waging brutal, senseless wars driven by greed and ambition, leaving millions killed or wounded. Pedophiles and child abusers are waging war against children through rape and exploitation.
Generally Unknown, Ignored
The values taught by Jesus of Nazareth—to respect, protect, and care for children—are generally unknown, and his call to bring abusers to justice is also largely ignored. This is a grave failure of the institutional Church. With some exceptions, it counts success mainly by the number of baptized members, while many of its clerics remain isolated from the suffering of victims of human rights violations. Too often, clergy repeat rituals and deliver irrelevant theological speeches. As an institution, the Church has lost its main purpose: to transform society by motivating people to do good and oppose evil with the conviction that justice will prevail.
Tragically, many clerics have abused and continue to abuse children with impunity, protected by silence and inaction. This has disgraced the institution regarding child protection. Only through the courage of true leaders and dedicated members of the People of God does the light of truth and the fight for justice continue to shine.
A recent UNICEF–Interpol report said 90 percent of online grooming for child sexual abuse occurred on Facebook. Still, the majority of abuse happens within families. Child defenders and nongovernmental organizations are working to campaign, educate, and encourage students, parents, and teachers to report abuse and support victims in seeking justice.
The public must oppose the social acceptance of, and apathy toward, child sexual abuse. Alarmingly, about 40 percent of mothers of the 62 sexually abused children in Preda’s therapy home chose to protect their rapist husband or partner rather than support their children in demanding justice. This is devastating for the victims. When judges postpone hearings, the children’s suffering only deepens.
Church authorities must act against abusers within their ranks and end impunity. The Church should become a beacon of child rights by cooperating with independent organizations to pursue justice for victims. It must end obstruction of legal cases and allow offenders to face trial in civil courts. Internal safeguarding programs must also refer offending clerics to civil courts.
Only when a strong movement emerges—demanding action from all authorities and recognizing the extent of child sexual abuse—will there be hope of reducing it. Without such action, the abuse will continue to grow.
Note: Any original information, stories, or news articles posted on this site that are authored by the Preda Foundation and Father Shay Cullen may be shared, copied, or reproduced without further permission, in support of truth, freedom of expression, and the public’s right to know.
LiCAS News was granted permission to republish and adapt this article by Father Shay Cullen in the spirit of truth-telling and the pursuit of justice.
Irish missionary Father Shay Cullen, SSC, founded the Preda Foundation in Olongapo City in 1974 to promote human rights and the rights of children, especially victims of sexual abuse.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance of LiCAS News.
