Three women reveal monk on Caldey Island sexually abused them for decades
By Nicole Rojas
The Monastery on Caldey Island, Wales, circa 1935. Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Three women have come forward to allege they were sexually abused by a monk living on Caldey Island, off the Welsh Coast at Tenby. The women claim Father Thaddeus Kotik sexually abused them as children during the 1970s and 1980s.
In August 2016, the women launched civil proceedings against the Cistercian order for personal injuries. The court documents claim Kotik abused six girls between 1972 and 1987 while at the Italianate Abbey of Our Lady and St Samson. However, the women believe there may be more victims.
Kotik, a former soldier with the Free Polish army during WWII, was ordained a priest in the order 1956. According to the Guardian, Kotik appears to have never been questioned by police and died in 1992.
According to court documents, Kotik befriended families who visited the island, as well as the farming families who lived there full time. He would give them handmade chocolates and produce to gain the trust of the families.
Kotik is said to have lured girls to places where he would not be detected, including a room near the abbey's dairy and in isolated rocky coves by the beach. While babysitting children, he allegedly would pull sleepy girls towards him and sexually assault them.
Kotik also lured children to the monastery garage using a chest full of sweets. He would allow them to eat as many sweets as they wanted, lifted them to his lap, removed their clothes and sexually assaulted them, The Guardian reported.
Victims came forward
During that time, some children complained to their parents and complaints were also made to the head of the abbey.
One woman, identified as Emily by the Guardian, told then Abbot Robert O'Brien in the late 1980s about Kotik assaulting her. O'Brien ordered Kotik to remain inside the monastery, though Kotik regularly managed to escape and abuse children.
When Emily again reported the abuse in 1990 to her Catholic school principal in Swansea, the principal wrote to O'Brien about the abuse. O'Brien pleaded leniency for Kotik and said he believed that the contact between Kotik and children was "touches through their clothes".
However, women who spoke to the Guardian said the abuse was penetrative in at least two of the cases.
Another woman, Charlotte, reported being abused along with her older sister when their family visited Caldey Island from Scotland. The girls reported the abuse to their principal at St Phillip's Christian College in Newcastle, New South Wales.
Charlotte told the Guardian that deputy principal Richard Rule prayed for the students and told them they "didn't need to talk of this again because God has forgiven everyone".
Good grief!
In 2014, Charlotte wrote a letter to the school's current principal, Graeme Irwin, expressing her frustration that Rule failed to report the abuse to police.
"Back when my sister and I came forward, the perpetrator was still ALIVE. He could have been dealt with by the law and incarcerated," she said.
Fear not! He is being dealt with.
Rule admitted that Charlotte told him about the abuse, but claimed he was unaware he was meant to report suspected child sex abuse.
Charlotte also wrote a letter to current abbot, Brother Daniel van Santvoort, who acknowledged Kotik's abuse and said he had previously heard allegations against Kotik.
According to the Guardian, Van Santvoort forwarded Charlotte's emails to Tenby police, which contacted her. Despite writing a formal statement and submitting it to them, she heard nothing more.
Pursuing legal action
Van Santvoort flew to Australia, where Charlotte and her family live, to personally apologise. However, Charlotte decided to pursue legal action. She and her sister were joined by two cousins who had also been abused by Kotik.
The case against Caldey Abbey sought acknowledgement, apology and compensation. It argued the abbey knew about the abuse and failed to report Kotik to police. The abbey claimed otherwise, invoking the statute of limitations and claiming it was impossible for it to get a fair trial.
The Guardian reported that the six plaintiffs accepted meagre compensations payments and did not receive an apology.
Caldey Island, Wales
Old Jersey man in court on child abuse charges
Jersey Evening Post
A 77-YEAR-OLD man charged with 12 counts of historical sexual abuse against three young girls appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Wilfred Stanley Morrish, of Le Marais, St Clement, is accused of eight counts of indecent assault, three counts of procuring an act of gross indecency and one of attempted rape.
He is also charged with one count of assaulting a child.
All of the alleged offences occurred between the early 1970s and early 1980s.
Mr Morrish is also accused of three counts of possessing indecent images of children on a disk in July this year.
He reserved his plea to all counts and was released on bail.
Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris declined jurisdiction.
The case is due to be formally committed to the Royal Court on 28 December.
South Korea not doing enough to protect women:
Human Rights Watch
Debra Killalea@DebKillalea news.com.au
SOUTH Korea may score highly when it comes to global economic and democracy ratings, but the Asian powerhouse gets a big thumb’s down in one key area.
The Republic of Korea has been named and shamed over its failure to adequately protect women from discrimination, sexual abuse and violence.
Human Rights Watch senior researcher in the Women’s Rights Division, Heather Barr said the Weinstein allegations had struck a real chord in South Korea with women sharing their own experiences of sexual harassment and assault online.
This week the South Korean government announced it will crack down on workplaces that fail to address harassment claims, warning of potential prison terms. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to everyday life for many women living in the world’s 11th biggest economy.
South Koreans take part in a protest in August which urge tech giants to work harder to curb hi-tech sex crimes. Picture: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP
According to HRW, South Korea also had a serious problem with violence against women with 80 per cent of the country’s men admitting to physically or psychologically abusing a female partner.
The country also ranks 116th out of 144 in global gender equality rankings.
Alarmingly, South Korea had the third-highest rate at 52.5 per cent, of female murder victims in the world, a United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime report in 2014 revealed.
According to Ms Barr, the figures were down, in part to “the murder of women by intimate partners and the government’s failure to effectively enforce laws against domestic violence”.
The UN report showed that Asia had the highest of number of women killed by intimate partners or family members with 19,700 killed in 2012. This compared to 13,400 in Africa, 6900 in the Americas, 3300 in Europe and 200 in Oceania.
However, overall homicide rates in South Korea, which has a population of 51.25 million people, were among the lowest in the world — below one per 100,000 people in 2012, the UN report said.
‘CRYING WITH SHAME’
Last week footage showed Korean nurses reportedly “crying with shame” while being forced to perform a “sexy dance” wearing skimpy outfits in front of high-ranking officials.
The Korean Nurses Association called for a thorough investigation of Hallym University’s Sacred Heart Hospital, located in the northern city of Chuncheon.
South Korean nurses said they were forced to dance to comfort patients. Picture: Korea TimesSource:Supplied
According to the Korea Times, a nurse posted a complaint on social media, along with photos and video of nurses in short pants and tube tops performing a sexually suggestive dance during an annual sports event last month.
Other nurses came forward to claim they were also asked to perform similar dances for events held throughout the year meant to “comfort” patients.
Writing for HRW, Ms Barr said while the new laws protecting women were welcome they didn’t go far enough to address the problem many still faced. She also criticised government guidelines, intended for high-school teachers, that women risked rape if they go on dates with men that pay for an expensive meal as they may expect sex.
The behaviour of some South Korean men, especially towards women, has come under the spotlight in recent months. A growing community of ultra-right-wing South Korean men have been sharing their beliefs online for some time on their own website to avoid having the content deleted.
Ilbe Storehouse, which translates to daily best, is now the 24th most popular website in all of South Korea, receiving close to 30.8 million visits in August this year alone. Hate speech against women was the driving force for majority of the site’s content.
In August this year, South Korean women staged a protest to urge tech giants including Google, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to work harder to curb hi-tech sex crimes in Seoul.
There were 7325 requests to have intimate videos removed from the internet were made last year in South Korea, according to government figures, a sevenfold increase in only four years.
It wouldn’t be the first time women’s rights have come under the spotlight in South Korea. Last year, the government was slammed over an online website which revealed the number of women in child-bearing age by each city district and region.
The Ministry of the Interior unveiled a pink birth map which critics said shamed women who didn’t have children. The website was pulled down within hours following the backlash, the Associated Press reported.
Lee Min-kyung, a 24-year-old feminist writer was among those who slammed the website which the government said was designed to increase the public’s understanding of the country’s low birth rate.
“I felt so angered that it blatantly showed how the government saw women’s bodies as the country’s reproductive tools, not belonging to the woman,” she said.
'NO EVIDENCE' Claims that children as young as primary school age are being sold for sex on streets of Glasgow blasted by Roma group
By Mary McCool
An investigation claimed yesterday that the problem had been ongoing in Nicola Sturgeon’s constituency for a decade – but Friends of Romano Lav has branded the publication “spurious and unevidenced”.
It was reported by The Times that community groups in Govanhill, one of Scotland’s most deprived areas, said Roma children are being sold by parents and relatives.
Locals say they have have seen girls and boys propositioning people as they walk through the streets at night.
Specialist agencies, social workers, community representatives and residents also believe that authorities have failed to take action for fear of being branded racist.
I sooo hate that! The very people who should be protecting our children are sacrificing them on the altar of political correctness. What an incredible shame!
Cops say child sex exploitation enquiries were carried out ten years ago, while local councillors formally flagged the issue in 2015.
But yesterday Friends of Romano Lav said in the four years it has run services in Govanhill, it has not encountered any instances of child sex abuse.
The group released a statement which read: “Friends of Romano Lav (FoRL), as an organisation supporting Roma communities who stay in Govanhill, Glasgow has been deeply concerned regarding these spurious and unevidenced allegations.
“FoRL has been actively working with Roma families and young people in Govanhill for more than four years. During all this time we have not encountered any instances of the child protection issues described.”
The statement continued: “Whilst we would certainly encourage all members of the public to report any suspicious activity involving children to the relevant authorities, we are deeply concerned about the current negative reporting for the following three reasons:
“Issues of child protection should not be racialised as this is unhelpful and damaging to the community relations and cohesion.
“If supported and credible evidence exists of illegal activity – and we are very sceptical about this fact – it should be taken directly to the police, not to news reporters.
“Such reporting in the mainstream media is harmful to ongoing community development work in the local area by groups like FoRL.
“In moving forwards, we would suggest there needs to be a clear statement from Police Scotland, social work and any other relevant agencies and authorities on what evidence there is – if any exists – for the recent claims.”
A police statement in 2007 confirmed that at least six instances of child abuse had been reported.
Olive Arens, the chief executive of Up-2-Us, a government-funded charity that works with vulnerable teenagers, was told the abuse was an “urban myth” when she flagged concerns.
In 2015 Crosshill and Govanhill community council recorded that “an issue had been raised regarding child prostitution within Govanhill” and that children were seen to be “wandering the streets at night” in its minutes.
Social work also said parents were “using their own kids”.
Claim: Authorities Failing as Birmingham Faces ‘Tsunami’ of Child Sex Abuse
by LIAM DEACON
The UK’s second city, Birmingham, could “explode” in a “tsunami of child sexual exploitation” with ruthless men even using tasers on young girls to facilitate gang rape, a politician with knowledge of the area warned.
Conservative councillor Des Flood suggested that parents could have been kept in the dark about the dangers faced by their children.
“I am worried there is a tsunami of child sexual exploitation waiting to explode across this city,” the representative of the Bartley Green ward said, according to the Birmingham Mail.
His was criticizing Birmingham City Council’s handling of child sexual exploitation after West Midlands Police arrested a suspected gang member for three schoolgirl rapes. He was bailed on every occasion, however.
The Birmingham Mail claims that 14 suspected gang members had been arrested for alleged sex offences against under-age girls.
Mr. Flood continued: “Young people, especially girls, are being sexually exploited on a daily basis. Some of this sexual exploitation is clearly linked to gangs.
“Schools are a vital part of our eyes and ears in the local community, on the ground, to identify vulnerable young people, especially in terms of concerns about child sexual exploitation.
“I know of cases whereby local schools in our community have done their duty and referred serious cases of child sexual exploitation about pupils to children’s services.
“But (neither) these schools nor their parents and carers have been invited to multi-agency child sexual exploitation meetings.”
He told another Councilor that the situation was a “disgrace,” adding:
“Can you please ensure that no further child sexual exploitation meetings take place in this city which involve school pupils without the schools and, indeed, parents and carers invited to be an equal partner at the table?
“I still believe there is a serious failing in sharing information amongst agencies, especially with regards to children’s services.”
Councillor Flood also told the meeting he had heard from residents other appalling claims which had never been included in official children’s services reports.
“I know of reports where residents have reported that young girls have been tasered and gang-raped,” he said.
“This information appears to have been diluted and not shared in reports.
“I know of one young girl who has had three social workers within the space of two months, two within the same month.
“I believe there are serious gaps that need to be closed, that vulnerable young people in this city, especially girls, are falling through the gaps.
“Is there an institutionalized attitude in children’s services to keep a lid on sharing information and therefore diluting the seriousness of child sexual exploitation against vulnerable children in our city?”
Bengaluru teen to address MPs on child sex abuse
A Survivor's Story
By Soumya Chatterjee
Seventeen-year-old Bengaluru girl Kanaka had planned to attend a science exhibition on Sunday in the city, just like she would do every other weekend.
Instead she will now be leaving for New Delhi to address our parliamentarians on issues affecting children across the country as part of a United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) initiative on November 20.
Kanaka and four other children from all over India will be speaking to the lawmakers on the occasion of International Children’s Day. Kanaka was selected to speak as part of the children’s takeover of the ‘Parliamentarians’ Group of Children’ programme. The five were selected after a thorough screening process.
While this alone makes it commendable, the 17-year-old’s difficult childhood only makes the selection praiseworthy.
Born to a low-income Tamil family in a Bengaluru slum, Kanaka was forced to fend for herself very early in her life. Not only that, she had to look after her disabled father and two younger siblings after her mother passed away due to cancer when Kanaka was just 11 years old. She also had to leave school after class 4, even though she was a good student, and start working.
Kanaka began working as a domestic help in homes and wedding halls during which she was subjected to sexual and other forms of abuse. Despite her horrific situation, she did not lose her confidence. She worked hard to ensure that she had a better life, not just for herself for also for others.
While working as a cleaner in a Yeshwantpur wedding hall, she was rescued by members of Sparsha, a child rights NGO, and currently lives with the organisation.
When TNM met Kanaka, the super-achiever appeared to be soft-spoken and shy. Dressed in a white salwar kameez with neatly braided hair, the bright-eyed girl spoke calmly but with a quiet confidence and clarity seldom associated with a teenager.
Speaking about laws against child labour and child marriage, Kanaka says, “There are many laws meant for children, but they are not thoroughly implemented.”
Karnataka sees some of the highest number of child marriages in the country. When asked about this, Kanaka explains that a major part of the crisis is due to lack of awareness.
“I will speak about child abuse which I have experienced in my life. This is not a problem that just I have faced, but it is faced by every girl child. I want to tell the MPs what it takes to stop child sexual abuse,” Kanaka says.
“Before, when I was abused, I used to sit quietly and not speak up. I did not know we have rights – the right to life, right to education. Now, I am fighting to make every girl and boy aware of this. We have to make everybody aware of this,” she adds.
Other than her goal of making people aware of child rights, Kanaka says that she aims to become a scientist. She currently studies science in PU-I at BGS School.
Apart from school and science workshops, Kanaka also spends her time practicing Yakshagana and Kolata, two ancient art forms of Karnataka.
Gopinath, a trustee at Sparsha, is full of praise for her. “Kanaka is not only a good student but a leader. She takes care of younger kids at the home and is a role model. Unlike many who are abused, she is very extroverted and always learning new things,” he says.
However, Kanaka is worried about her siblings. Her brother left home and has become addicted to drugs. The situation is similar with her sister, who she says is deeply traumatised due to abuse and has left the NGO despite multiple attempts to rescue her.
Child abuse in India and how you can help fight it
Despite stringent laws against child abuse, the problem is rampant in India. Abuse can be physical, emotional, or sexual. Often children are abused in the confines of their homes.
A report by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development estimated 50 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 were victims of child sexual abuse. The study also found that 69% of children reported to have been physically abused. Out of these 54.68% were boys.
So, if 55% of boys report being abused and 69% of all children report being abused than the percentage of girls being sexually abused must be about 83%.
52.91% of boys and 47.09 % of girls reported having been abused in their family environment. Of the children who were abused in family situations, 88.6% were abused by their parents.
This ratio is pretty unlikely. I suspect that a large number of girls in the study either refused to disclose abuse or were unable to for one of many reasons. I believe the real percentage of girls abused should have been >80%.
More recently in May 2017, out of 45,000 plus children of 12-18 years surveyed by an NGO, revealed that half of them were victims of child sexual abuse. According to the survey, one in four families do not report incidences of child abuse.
Again, many children will not report child sex abuse until they are adults, if then.
If you find any child being abused in any form, you should get in touch with the local police and also call Childline (1098) which works across India. There are also numerous aid organisations and NGOs which work to rescue and rehabilitate children.
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