IGNATIUS GROUP________
For immediate release:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Child protection advocates voice concerns about proposed investigation of child sexual abuse at St. Joseph's Homes in Port au Prince, Haiti by Hearts with Haiti organization (see letter below).
Here are the steps you need to take:
1) Call the police. Report your suspicions to U.S. Homeland Security ICE Investigations, Haitian National Police, United Nations Police and the Haitian Child Welfare office.
2) Remove Michael Geilenfeld, a U.S. citizen, from Haiti until the investigation is completed. Ensure that Geilenfeld has no further contact with potential witnesses and/or victims.
3) Get out of the way of law enforcement professionals. Forensic investigators are specially trained to investigate child abuse and to interview child sexual abuse victims.
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Here is a copy of Tuesday's message from the Executive Director of Hearts with Haiti:
From: Geoffrey Hamlyn [mailto:ghamlyn@heartswithhaiti.org]
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 2:27 PM
Subject: Response to Accusations
Dear Friends and Supporters of Hearts with Haiti and the St. Joseph Family,
On November 8th, 2011 the Board of Trustees of Hearts with Haiti voted unanimously to commission an independent and objective investigation of the allegations against Michael Geilenfeld and the St. Joseph Family. Hearts with Haiti remains supportive of Michael and of the St. Joseph Family, and believes strongly that the St. Joseph Family homes are safe and positive places for children. While this is our belief and our efforts to fund-raise and support the work continue, it is important to us that these charges be answered in a responsible manner.
Yesterday, December 5, 2011, without knowing when the investigation began or the details of its execution, Mr. Davis? communications appeared to disregard his own demand for the very investigation he now challenges as invalid in advance of its conclusion.
The execution of this investigation will remain fully objective and independent. Therefore, Hearts with Haiti will have no further comment on the matter until the Board has received the report, in which Hearts with Haiti will have no input.
In addition, Hearts with Haiti is aware that the United States government has also been investigating the allegations. Hearts with Haiti and the St. Joseph Family will continue to cooperate with the authorities of the United States and Haiti.
Mr. Davis? unauthorized use of the same mass distribution list used by the St. Joseph Family to send updates on the outstanding achievements of this ministry is unfortunate and disreputable.
Hearts with Haiti and the St. Joseph Family wish to apologize for compromising your contact information to such individuals.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey S. Hamlyn
Executive Director
Hearts with Haiti
Rev. Patrick S. Hamrick
Chair, Board of Trustees
Hearts with Haiti
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The Ignatius Group includes those who care about protecting children from abuse.
For more information:
Paul Kendrick, Freeport, Maine, 207 838 1319
Cyrus Sibert, Cap-Haitien, Haiti 509 3686 9669
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Mr. Sibert,
I apologize, I do not speak or write French or Creole.
I have visited St. Joseph's Home for Boys in October of 2010 and October 2011. Upon returning several weeks, I learned about the sexual abuse allegations regarding Mike Geilenfeld. I have talked and exchanged many emails with concerned people on both sides, read postings on the internet. I am convinced that at minimum, Mike Geilenfeld and the St. Joseph communities need to be thoroughly investigated.
I have many questions. Please forgive my long list of questions.
· Is the Haitian Govt. investigating Geilenfeld?
· Is the US Govt. investigating?
· Are the two governments cooperating?
· If Geilenfeld is an offender, how has he been doing it for so long and getting away with it?
· Hearts With Haiti Foundation (located in North Carolina, USA) raised $500,000 in 2007, $250,000 in 2008, $400,000 in 2009, and $2 million in 2010 (see this report ). St. Joseph's has a $6 million capital campaign underway to rebuild two orphanages (St. Joseph's Home for Boys and Wings of Hope). Does it cost this much in Haiti to build two orphanages?
· How about operating costs - could they be as much as $500,000 a year for three orphanages (Trinity House as well).
· If Geilenfeld is an abuser, how much does it take to buy off the social services (IBSER)?
· Is he paying people off to look the other way?
· Who inspects the orphanages in Haiti?
· Is any governing body, the IBSER perhaps, inspecting the St. Joseph's orphanages?
· If so, can you get a report proving that St. Joseph's has been inspected?
· St. Joseph's claims the IBSER as well as the US Embassy exonerated Mike Geilenfeld in 1991 when he was accused of sexual abuse. Do you have official documents that reflect this claim?
· Why don't graduated orphans speak out against him, if they have been abused?
· What can naive Americans do to facilitate stopping sexual abuse as is alleged against Mike Geilenfeld?
· John Duarte signed a letter written in December of 1990 defending Geilenfeld against sexual abuse charges. The newspaper articles I have read say Duarte was convicted for sexual abuse he committed in Port au Prince and Labodie. One article I found says Duarte helped at a mission in Port au Prince in the early 90s. Was this mission St. Joseph's?
· Are Duarte and Geilenfeld part of a network of "humanitarians" in Haiti perpetuating sexual abuse crimes?
· Have you met Don Lojoie of Windsor Star (Windsor, Ontario). He wrote about the John Duarte case in Labadie and Cite Soleil. I hope you two collaborate. Please call him.
I hope you have time to reply.
Robert Bryan Davis
Atlanta, Ga USA
