What if Pablo Escobar had hosted a symposium on Drug Trade Gangland Violence Prevention?
No matter what well-respected, hard-working experts he invited, the symposium wouldn’t have stopped the continued promulgation of violence in the Columbian Drug Cartel.
Later this month, Penn State will be hosting a symposium on child sexual abuse and prevention. Their list of partners is very impressive.
The Boy Scouts of America will also be hosting a symposium in November in Atlanta.
Sounds similar, don’t you think?
At least they are doing something, I hear many of you say. But that’s the problem: Right now, that ALL they are doing.
The Boy Scouts and Penn State did not voluntarily go to the cops and say, “We have a problem.” The Scouts were sued by hundreds of victims who were aching after decades of abuse and cover-up. Penn State was exposed because of the bravery of Jerry Sandusky’s victims, who bucked the Happy Valley “code of silence” and came forward to protect other kids.
But instead of enacting REAL institutional change that installs any measure of acountability, both groups are working to brand themselves as “leaders” in prevention. But don’t be fooled.
Victims don’t come forward so that large organizations that cover up sex abuse will be encouraged to hold “symposiums” on child sex abuse prevention. They come forward so that wrong doers are punished and children are protected.
Until the leadership of the Boy Scouts and Penn State are held publicly accountable and until effective institutional change is implemented and enforced, public relations events like symposiums will only give the false illusion of child safety.
The only way that change will occur is if victims continue to use the civil and criminal courts to seek justice and if the public demands significant change with their voice and their checkbooks. Finally, the hard-working and tireless child protection advocacy groups and speakers attending both events should demand evidence of accountability and institutional change before any further partnership agreements with either the Scouts or Penn State.
Addition:
After attending the upcoming Penn State Conference, I will feel more comfortable forming an opinion. My concern about this upcoming conference is that they have chosen Elizabeth Smart as a closing speaker. Her experience and resilency is definately worthy of sharing with others but seriously… is this the appropriate conference.? She was abducted and taken out of her community. Sandusky groomed families, co-worker’s and communities to sexually abuse. What message and feelings will be left with participants and communities? I am afraid that the “feel good” ending and lack of addressing the grooming of adults to access kids can re-enforce stranger danger and lack of adult responsibility to protect children. Just a concern at this point…
These types of public acts all resemble fraud and conspiracy acts, with intent to show an insurance company or government agency that “things are different now.” NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
Obviously, Penn State, Boys Scouts of America, the Catholic Church, and many other non-profit institutions, disguised as players that contribute to the common good of our society, all hire the same attorneys who take an oath to serve ONE MASTER, but FAILED and continue to FAIL for self-serving political and financial gain, without accountability in a court of law. If you or I committed the crimes these individuals committed against children, we would be in prison for life. And, as long as these crimes continue, no child, adult or employee will be safe from sex abuse crimes or any type of abuse.
In addition, most likely these religious and non-profit, for the good of our society organizations, share:
** the same for-profit attorneys,
** the same for-profit liability, premise, workers compensation, negligence, malpractice (medical and legal) and employer insurance providers,
** the same for-profit background check, fingerprinting and risk management consultants
The patterns of attempting to show the world “THINGS HAVE CHANGED”, is fraud, conspiracy, and more fraud and conspiracy crimes, piling up on one another, with intent that insurance policy premiums will somehow be reduced. Each time Diocese of Orange Bishop Brown and his General Counsel Maria Schinderle, faced a new series of public reports involving the crimes they both committed and crimes committed by employees under their supervision, Bishop Brown nailed the Covenant with the Faithful on Church doors, a victim’s organization would suddenly and publicly honor the Diocese of Orange with its policies that “protect children”, and/or the Vatican/Pope would issue public honors to Diocese of Orange employees and members who sold their souls to the devil, those who failed to report horrific crimes committed against children and adults but maintained lifetime employment.
Thanks to survivors, their families and supporters for seeing the fraud repeatedly committed under the disguise of religion or the common good. PROTECT GOD’S PRECIOUS GIFT TO THE WORLD–do not get trapped into another sex abuse symposium. The only way to protect those who cannot protect themselves is to put all the ENABLERS, those who refuse to act but pretend to care, in a dark and lonely prison cell with others who have destroyed lives.
Wrongdoers love “educational” events, largely because it implies that they did wrong because they just didn’t know better. The sad truth is that Scout and church and Penn State officials concealed child sex crimes because they lacked courage and compassion, not knowledge.
David Clohessy, SNAP Director
SNAPclohessy@aol.com