PRESS CONFERENCE
Catholic Church Hosts Haiti Conference; Abuse
Victims and Child Protection Advocates Respond to the Sexual Abuse of 22
Haitian Children by U.S. Citizen, Douglas Perlitz, and the Failure of Catholic
Individuals, Groups and Organizations to Protect the Children.
At a Washington, D.C. Press Conference, Haitian
Journalist, Cyrus Sibert will describe the pain, suffering and
abandonment of 22 child sexual abuse victims in Haiti. Boston Attorney, Mitche
Child protection organizations demand that Catholic church mission groups protect innocent children in Haiti
Groups want Haiti
conference attendees to implement written child protection
policies
Catholic Missionary groups must be held accountable for the protection of children in Haiti
"If You See Something, Say Something: Report Child Abuse"
Catholic Missionary groups must be held accountable for the protection of children in Haiti
"If You See Something, Say Something: Report Child Abuse"
WHAT: Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk press conference, clergy sexual abuse victims and advocates will urge:
-- Haiti conference attendees to implement
written child protection and
code of behavior policies,
systems and procedures at their schools,
hospitals, orphanages and other mission sites in Haiti.
-- Anyone who has information or suspicions
about child sexual abuse in Haiti to contact ICE/Homeland Security
investigators.
-- Employees and volunteers of NGOs in Haiti
to familiarize themselves with the 2003 PROTECT ACT.
-- Conference attendees to review the
information posted on http://haitionetable.
WHEN: Friday, June
1, 2012 at 11:30 a.m.
WHERE: On the sidewalk
outside the Basilica of
the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (across from Catholic
University), 400 Michigan Avenue, Northeast, Washington, D.C. 20017.
WHO: At least six men
and women who are victims of clergy sexual abuse crimes or
advocates for abuse victims, including Mitchell
Garabedian, a Boston Attorney who is an internationally recognized
advocate for abuse victims, Cyrus Sibert, a Haitian journalist who exposed
the sexual abuse of children at Project Pierre Toussaint in Haiti, as well as
leaders of several child advocacy organizations.
WHY: Cyrus Sibert, a Haitian journalist and
radio commentator first began publishing reports about the sexual abuse of
children at Project Pierre Toussaint in late 2007. Sibert and the abuse victims
were immediately called liars by members of the Catholic
organizations who supervised the school and were threatened and
intimidated by NGO and business leaders in the Cap Haitian community. Sibert
will tell how these sexually abused, homeless street children were rejected and
abandoned by the same Catholic individuals, organizations and institutions in
the United States that had previously boasted and taken great pride in their
association with Project Pierre Toussaint.
Boston Attorney, Mitchell Garabedian, wilI
discuss 21 civil lawsuits previously
filed in Federal Court in CT on behalf of 22 Haitian boys who were sexually abused by
a U.S. citizen, Douglas Perlitz, while Perlitz was director of
Project Pierre Toussaint in Cap Haitian, Haiti. The discovery process is
ongoing in these lawsuits which name Perlitz and Perlitz's supervisors as
defendants.
Perlitz, after pleading guilty in federal
criminal court in CT in December 2010, is now serving a 19 year and 7 month
sentence in a federal prison in Texas.
Project Pierre Toussaint was founded, funded and
supported by many Catholic organizations, including the Order of Malta, the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Bridgeport, the Knights of Columbus, Fairfield
University,the New England Society of Jesus and the Haiti Fund, Inc., a Connecticut based non-profit whose Chairman, Jesuit priest, Rev.
Paul Carrier, S.J., was the long time Director of Campus Ministry at
Fairfield University.
It is our firm belief that a presentation and discussion of the Perlitz
case will provide conference attendees withthe most comprehensive learning
experience and inside look at the ways and means by which these individuals
and institutions failed to protect innocent children at their mission
in Haiti due to a lack of checks and balances, systems, procedures and
policies designed to protect children from sexual abuse. This landmark criminal
case established legal and law enforcement precedents by which a U.S. citizen
will be prosecuted in U.S. Federal Court for crimes committed against children,
no matter in the world the crimes are committed.
In addition, the information contained in the precedent setting civil lawsuits filed by Attorney
Mitchell Garabedian on behalf of 22 boys who were sexually abused by Perlitz is
intended to awaken and educate Haiti Conference
attendees as to how Perlitz's supervisors failed to protect innocent and
vulnerable Haitian children from repeated incidents of sexual abuse for many
years. It is painfully obvious that safeguards to protect children, including
policies, systems and procedures, were not in place.
CONTACT:
Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, http://www.garabed
Robert Hoatson, President, Road to Recovery, http://www.road-to-
862-368-2800 (cell), rmhoatson
Becky Ianni, Washington D.C. Director, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,
703-801-6044, SNAPViginia@cox.
Paul Kendrick, Ignatius Group, http://haitionetable.
Journalist, Cyrus Sibert, Cap-Haitian Haiti, http://www.
321 914 2743 (cell), reseaucitadelle@
Michael Sweatt, National Survivor Advocates Coalition, http://www.national
Robert Hoatson, President, Road to Recovery, http://www.road-to-
862-368-2800 (cell), rmhoatson
Becky Ianni, Washington D.C. Director, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests,
703-801-6044, SNAPViginia@cox.
Paul Kendrick, Ignatius Group, http://haitionetable.
Journalist, Cyrus Sibert, Cap-Haitian Haiti, http://www.
321 914 2743 (cell), reseaucitadelle@
Michael Sweatt, National Survivor Advocates Coalition, http://www.national
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