Victims aged 4 to 75: Norway community rocked by 150+ sexual assault cases spanning 60yrs
Tysfjord, Norway © S. Zankl
A small Norwegian town above the Arctic Circle has witnessed at least 151 cases of sexual assault since 1953, police revealed. Victims ranged between four and 75 years old, and mostly belonged to the indigenous Sami community.
All the incidents took place in the Tysfjord municipality in Norway, with a population of less than 2,000 residents. The police probe started after a report in the local VG newspaper in 2016.
The oldest case dates back to 1953 and the most recent took place in August 2017, police said, adding that they dropped 106 cases in November this year because too much time had passed. Two people have been charged with a total of 10 assaults, and about 30 cases are still under investigation.
“Many of these abuses have been going on for a long time. Several assault cases started when the victims were very young. The youngest was four years when the abuse began,” police attorney Oyvind Rengard said at a press conference, as cited by Norwegian media on Tuesday.
In total, 92 people, including three women, are suspects, police said. Nearly 70 percent of the victims and the suspects belong to the indigenous Sami community in Tysfjord. The investigation showed that many of them are affiliated with the Laestadianism Church, a conservative Lutheran revival movement that originated in Lapland in the 19th century.
“The police have no reason to believe that ethnicity or religious beliefs are an explanation to the assaults that took place,” police officer Tone Vangen told a news conference.
‘The assaults left their traces’
Among these 151 cases, there are at least 43 rapes, including three committed against children in the municipality. All the victims are aged between four and 75, police said.
In 2016, VG cited 11 people who claimed they were victims of sexual assaults. One woman who spoke on condition of anonymity said that she was abused by her father. “The municipality authorities failed her in every way possible. Not intentionally, but due to lack of expertise,” the woman’s lawyer said.
Marion Knutsen, 29, told VG that her mother, who committed suicide back in 2015, was subjected to sexual assaults when she was a teenager. Knutsen said that she herself was sexually assaulted. One more woman said that she was sexually abused by an adult relative when she was 11. It lasted until she turned 13, she added.
Another victim said that the abuse started when she was four years old. “The assaults left their traces. They made me more vulnerable in my teens,” she said, adding that when she was eight she was abused by two men.
Another victim, a woman, said she was visiting a friend in Tysfjord when she was raped by two men who sneaked into her bedroom. “Several others were present in the same house,” the woman, who was in her teens at the time of the attack, said. “They laughed,” she added.
Tysfjord, Norway
The Times
Forty monks and teachers have been accused of sexually abusing boys at a leading Roman Catholic school that allegedly became a “honeypot” for offenders, it was revealed yesterday.
Reports of child sex offences at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire were disclosed yesterday at a public hearing of an inquiry into the handling of abuse allegations by the Catholic church.
As a case study, the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse (IICSA) is examining safeguarding policies at two fee-paying boarding schools run by the English Benedictine Congregation — Ampleforth, and Downside in Somerset. Riel Karmy-Jones, QC, counsel to the inquiry, said that it would consider the prevalence of child abuse within the Catholic church and the extent to which Catholic culture “has or does inhibit the proper investigation and prevention” of such crimes.
Since 1996 three monks and two lay teachers at Ampleforth have been convicted of sex offences against pupils, but Ms Karmy-Jones said that the inquiry had been notified of multiple allegations against about 40 monks and teachers.
In an opening statement on behalf of 29 abuse survivors Richard Scorer, a specialist abuse lawyer at Slater and Gordon, the law firm, said that the “temptation to cover up” such crimes was “particularly acute in institutions associated with the Roman Catholic Church”. He said: “Where reputation is key to an organisation’s existence, there is likely to be an almost overwhelming desire to find some way of avoiding the bad publicity associated with child sex abuse.” Shared awareness among child abusers that their misconduct would be covered up, or dealt with in-house, explained why “some institutions become honeypots where multiple offenders operate”.
Mr Scorer urged the inquiry to consider recommending a change in the law to make failure to report abuse a criminal offence.
On behalf of 14 victims and survivors, David Enright said that it was “very difficult to explain” to a non-Catholic “the power and depth of influence the Catholic church exerts over its members. The abusers were not only men in positions of trust; they were seen by the abused, and their families, as spokesmen for the God they worship. It is hard to imagine a greater hold that a child abuser could have over his victim.”
Matthias Kelly, QC, counsel for Ampleforth, said that the school and the abbey wanted “to apologise for the hurt, injury, distress and damage done to those who were abused as a result of our failings”. He said that the school’s policy today was one of “full, transparent and immediate co-operation with the statutory agencies”.
For Downside and the English Benedictine Congregation, Kate Gallafent, QC, said that the Catholic church was committed to giving the inquiry “its full co-operation. The congregation expresses profound shame that any child has been the victim of sexual abuse whilst in the care of the schools connected with its abbeys.”
I may be alone in this, but sometimes I think there are some orders within the Catholic umbrella that should be completely abolished. Their guilt and shame far beyond forgiveness. Is it time for the Vatican to purge itself of reprobate orders?
Aussie child rapist accused bailed despite police opposition
SAM BIDEY, Townsville BulletinAN alleged child rapist has been bailed after fronting Townsville Magistrates Court on seven counts of rape and six counts of indecent treatment of a child under 12.
Detectives from the Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit arrested and charged a 37-year-old Vincent man with the alleged offences on Friday afternoon.
His victim, a young boy, made disclosures about the alleged rapes to the mother of the accused who then contacted police.
Townsville Child Protection Investigation Unit officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Dave Miles said police would allege the offences occurred between May and November.
It will be alleged the accused was a family friend who was residing with the victim’s mother.
Sen-Sgt Miles said that when police were dealing with allegations involving young children “it’s imperative that the community is protected against such individuals”.
The man was held in custody at the weekend and fronted Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday where police strongly opposed bail. Despite this, the alleged offender was granted bail to reappear before the court on February 2, 2018.
Under conditions of bail, the man is not allowed to go to the house where the alleged offences took place nor have contact with the victim or his family, and must report to police three times a week.
Bravehearts, a foundation aiming to prevent child sexual abuse in society, believes the interests of all children should be protected by the courts.
“Conditions may be enforced in relation to a specific victim but we also need to be protecting all children in the community,” Bravehearts criminologist Carol Ronkin said.
The foundation’s stance is that bail should be refused for anyone charged with child sex offences except in exceptional circumstances.
“We understand people are innocent until proven guilty but these are serious offences and we strongly believe the presumption should be to refuse bail,” Ms Ronkin said.
“Any decision by the courts should always be made with the interests of children at heart and what’s best for protecting children.”
Wouldn't that be nice?
Sex offences by adults in position of trust up 82% in UK, says NSPCC
Campaigners urge current legislation doesn't go far enough to protect children, as law is currently limited to regulated settings such as schools, hospitals and care homes
May Bulman Social Affairs Correspondent @maybulman
Sex crimes committed by adults in positions of trust have increased by more than 80 per cent since 2014, official figures show.
The number of offences where professionals such as teachers, care staff and youth justice workers targeted 16- and 17-year-olds in their care for sex rose to 290 in the year to June – up from 159 three years ago.
Nearly 1,000 crimes were recorded over the period, with the figure steadily rising year on year.
One child victim is Lee, whose name has been changed to protect his identity, who was befriended by a youth leader at his church group when he was 15. The adult began texting Lee and asking to spend time together outside of the group.
“He started by sitting closer to me on the sofa, trailing his finger on to mine. Things which I thought were weird but not big enough to react to,” Lee said.
Things escalated to kissing and sexual contact when Lee turned 16, he said, adding: “I was so confused but knew what he was doing was wrong. I wanted it to stop but part of me was afraid to speak out because I didn’t want to get him in trouble.”
Campaigners are now warning that current legislation doesn’t go far enough to protect children, as the law is currently limited to certain regulated settings and positions, such as schools, care settings, hospitals and criminal justice.
The legal loophole means some adults who work with children, such as sports coaches, religious leaders or adults working in the arts and other activities, are not considered to be in positions of trust – meaning sexual activity between them and a 16- or 17-year-old child is not illegal.
The Government has recently made progress on this issue by extending the legislation to cover sports coaches, following historic allegations of sexual abuse in football that emerged a year ago, but the NSPCC is urging the Government to go further and extend the law to cover all adults working regularly with children.
NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said it was “hard to believe” that the law protects 16- and 17-year-old children from being abused in the classroom, but not on the sports pitch or on the stage.
“We know that some adult youth workers spend years grooming young people and then, as soon as their 16th birthday comes around, they target them for sex,” he said.
“Government must close this loophole to protect children from other adults who use their authority to exploit them.”
The NSPCC’s #TrustToLead campaign is urging the Government to go further and extend the law to cover all adults working regularly with children, including religious leaders, adults working in the arts, outdoor pursuits and other activities.
Recidivist NZ sex offender jailed for raping young girl
A convicted rapist has been jailed for the serious sexual assault of a young girl.
Pourau Sir Charles Albert previously pleaded guilty to raping the victim on two occasions between 2009 and 2010, when she was aged between 8-10 years of age.
It was revealed during the 59-year-old's sentencing in the Hāwera District Court that he had been convicted of raping a woman in 1998 and also jailed in 2013 for indecent assault.
The victim of the indecent assault was the same girl he raped, however she did not disclose the more serious abuse until later on.
Judge Chris Sygrove said the first attack took place in 2009, when the girl was eight.
She had been lying in bed watching a DVD. After getting the child a hot chocolate, Albert lay down next to her and started to touch her, the judge said.
Albert then removed the child's pants and raped her.
In 2010, when the victim was 10, Albert walked into the girl's room and ordered her to lie on top of a nearby desk, where she was sexually assaulted.
"You held her down to prevent her from moving. You then left the room," the judge said.
Judge Sygrove said Albert had expressed to the probation officer how had he had changed his ways after finding religion behind bars and also acknowledged the pain and suffering of the victim.
During the court hearing, Albert stood quietly in the dock as the horrors of his actions were dictated by Judge Sygrove. All the while, he clasped a small bible in his hands which he would glance at from time to time.
Prosecutor Stephanie Simpkin said the aggravating factors included the harm caused to the victim and her young age at the time of the sexual abuse. She said Albert's previous sex offending history also needed to be taken into account.
A starting point of 13 years jail was sought by Simpkin, who also asked for a minimum period of imprisonment of 50 per cent be imposed.
Defence counsel Rajan Rai submitted a lower starting point of jail time for Albert, of between 7-8 years. Rai said when the defendant was confronted with the allegations, he admitted them immediately.
Intergenerational abuse
He said Albert had been psychologically assessed prior to his sentencing and the report outlined how the man had been sexually, physically and verbally abused by members of his family as he grew up and that he rarely went to school.
After dropping out of education at 13, Albert joined a gang and fell into drug and alcohol use. He eventually moved to Taranaki, from Auckland, for a fresh start, Rai said.
In considering the case on Wednesday, Judge Sygrove said the only thing Albert deserved credit for was his early guilty pleas.
Albert was jailed for eight and a half years, and will have to serve a minimum period of four years before becoming eligible for parole.
At the time of his release from prison for the indecent assaults, Albert was placed onto a 10-year extended supervision order, which is monitored by Corrections. It was due to run until 2026.
4 years. How pathetic is that? When are courts in New Zealand going to start thinking about the children?
Taranaki, N.Z.
No sexual abuse found in Beijing kindergarten: Police
Xinhua
Beijing police said on Tuesday evening they had not found any evidence that children have been sexually exploited in the RYB Education New World Kindergarten.
Preschoolers at the kindergarten in Chaoyang District were reportedly sexually molested, pierced by needles and given unidentified pills, stirring up a national outrage.
According to police, the investigation showed that a female teacher surnamed Liu, 22, allegedly used sewing needles to "discipline" children who would not sleep. Liu has been detained.
The kindergarten has 78 staff with eight males who have no contact with children in private.
No abnormality was found after the examination of a girl involved in the case upon her parents' request.
Teachers were not allowed to give any drug to children except those presented by parents.
The surveillance footage of the problematic class obtained by police had been damaged, which was found to be due to frequent power outages. Investigation showed that a staff member in the surveillance room was annoyed by the noise of the monitor and frequently cut the electricity after school.
About 113 hours of footage was restored and viewed and no act of abuse was found.
The claims that children have been collectively molested were found to be rumors created by a 31-year-old woman surnamed Liu and a 29-year-old woman surnamed Li. Liu has been detained, and Li received a police warning.
A video clip was broadcast by a TV station on Nov. 23 showing a child saying he was fed pills by teachers. The father admitted that the child has not been fed pills in school, but it was he himself who induced the child to say so.
Parent surnamed Zhao had said that there were naked male "doctors" conducting body checks on her daughter. Zhao admitted that the story was entirely fabricated and she was willing to apologize to the public.
Police said the case is still under investigation.
Specialist unit to investigate Glasgow
child prostitution claims
Marc HorneThe Times
A police unit that was set up after the Rotherham abuse scandal is to investigate persistent claims of child sex exploitation in Glasgow (4th story on link).
The National Child Abuse Investigation Unit (NCAIU) has been drafted in to an inquiry following allegations reported in The Times that children from the Roma community are being sold to adult abusers in the first minister’s Glasgow South constituency.
Nicola Sturgeon and Michael Matheson, the justice minister, opposition politicians and local councillors have all called for the claims to be thoroughly examined.
Police Scotland said it was now working with the NCAIU to “robustly” investigate concerns raised about child sexual exploitation in the Govanhill district.
Liam McArthur, the Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesman who raised the issue at the Scottish parliament last week, said: “The involvement of this unit, with its considerable specialist expertise, in the investigation in Govanhill is a welcome and sensible move.” Since The Times reported the allegations earlier this month, other residents of Govanhill have come forward to report incidents. A nurse said he was openly propositioned by a young girl near his home.
A series of reports compiled by social workers and academics since 2013 have suggested that exploitation may be rooted in the poverty surrounding the large Roma community in Govanhill.
Child exploitation and poverty are frequently associated.
The national investigations unit was launched in 2015 by the former chief constable, Sir Stephen House, after the Rotherham scandal, where 1,400 children were abused between 1997 and 2013. Based in Livingston, West Lothian, its remit is to help local divisions investigate child sexual abuse.
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