From Haiti, expressions of relief and gratitude. Michael P. Mayko, Staff Writer Published: 11:02 p.m., Wednesday, August 18, 2010 The telephone call brought sighs of relief, a sense of dignity to their destitute lives and gratitude that the U.S. government took the time to listen a group of Third World street urchins.   The call Wednesday from Paul Kendrick, an advocate for Haitian children victimized by sexual predators, was to a home where several of Douglas Perlitz's alleged victims are living. His message: Perlitz had pleaded guilty and acknowledged he had molested eight of the boys.   "If I had to describe the mood, it was one of dignity," said Kendrick, a Fairfield University graduate who has spent the last 18 months advocating on behalf of the Haitian street boys who claimed they were abused by Perlitz in Cap-Haitien, the second largest city in one of the poorest countries in the world. "They were just so proud that the government of the U.S. listened to them and that some caring people in the U.S. stood with them during the ups and downs of this case," he said.   To contact the boys, Kendrick was helped by the man who had first raised alarms about what Perlitz was doing in his Project Pierre Toussaint, Cyrus Sibert, a Haitian journalist.   Sibert told the Connecticut Post Wednesday that the guilty plea "is great news for the victims and myself. This will bring to an end all types of pressure and intimidations from people who accuse us of lying."   He expressed hope that Perlitz backers both in Connecticut and Haiti "will come to realize that they were all wrong in supporting his cause and from now on they will instead contribute to repair the damages done to those kids."   It's now time to move forward, Kendrick said.   "What matters now is that we reach out and help (the children)," Kendrick said.   Those words were echoed by Jean Myrthil Joseph, an inspector with the Haitian National Police who led that country's investigation into Perlitz's activities and sought an arrest warrant there.   "We are overwhelmed with Perlitz's plea," he said in a statement e-mailed to the Connecticut Post. "What matters to us is that our work has led to his guilty plea and our efforts did not go in vain. This is good news for the institution and it shows that our investigative techniques have bore fruits. We hope that the victims will be compensated."   Marguerite Laurent, a lawyer who heads the Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network, went further, calling for more investigating and reporting on sexual abuse of children in Haiti.   "Being the first of its kind in the U.S., this case sets a good precedent and deterrent -- warning all who prey on the helpless in Haiti masking it with false benevolence that impunity no long rules," she said in an e-mailed statement. "It's not often there's good news for Haiti's children, but this news is most welcomed and duly appreciated."   "We hope this matter is not dropped after the December sentencing of Perlitz," she said. "There are many more Douglas Perlitz-type charity and priest-folks in Haiti right now, being coddled and protected by Haiti innkeepers, hotel owners, non-government organization relief workers, making money from the rentals of rooms in which our tiny children are being systematically raped, abused and trained ... to service pedophiles." ____________________ "La vraie reconstruction d'Haïti passe par des réformes en profondeur des structures de l'État pour restaurer la confiance, encourager les investisseurs et mettre le peuple au travail. Il faut finir avec cette approche d'un État paternaliste qui tout en refusant de créer le cadre approprié pour le développement des entreprises mendie des millions sur la scène internationale en exhibant la misère du peuple." Cyrus Sibert Reconstruction d'Haïti : A quand les Réformes structurelles? Haïti : La continuité du système colonial d'exploitation  prend la forme de monopole au 21e Siècle. WITHOUT REFORM, NO RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN HAITI (U.S. Senate report.)