Sunday, July 19, 2009

Padre Juan was God on Earth

Only Padre Juan had an evil side too, he liked little boys. Boys were like cake, and Juan could never get enough.

I read a story this afternoon about a boy who was sexually abused by two catholic priests in two different cities. He’s older now, and dreams of beating priests with baseball bats. He carries the guilt of the abused, and the guilt of enabling the abuse of his younger brother. The $1.2 million settlement is not nearly enough.

The abuse and subsequent manipulation is unconscionable. His first abuser was a Yuma Priest named Rev. Juan Gullen who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for his crimes.  His second abuser was Rev. John Valez, who has fled the country.

The victim discussed the abuse techniques used by both priests.

Like Guillen before him, Velez recruited young John Doe to be an altar boy. His mother encouraged him, thinking it an honor. And, like Guillen before him, Velez began molesting the boy, then 11.

"He used similar tactics," John Doe testified. "They have a method of using confession and advice to tell you how you need to spend time with them and be a good person, and then he began the physical part."

After a few months, the conduct grew "harsher."

"I didn't know what was going on," he said. "I was just a little boy."

I don’t know why people don’t take sexual abuse right to the police. I’m betting is has something to do with being part of an immigrant population and the fear of the authorities.  The mother bears some responsibility in this story. She knew about the abuse but trusted the church. My advice is to never trust the church.  The Catholic church is like a big corporation and its parishioners are the customers. The church will always act to protect itself before it acts to protect it customers. It is common sense. That is the way a business works.