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daijaworld.com (India)
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| HEEL, NETHERLANDS (BNO NEWS) – A former head nurse at a boarding school in the southeastern Netherlands was told that as many as 20 children were killed there in the 1950s, according to a television report aired on Sunday.Last month, the Roermond Public Prosecutions Department launched a criminal investigation into the unusually high death rate at the St Joseph care home in Heel, a town in the province of Limburg. The probe was launched after records revealed that 34 boys under 18 died at the Roman Catholic home between 1952 and 1954.
Nico van Hout, a former head nurse at the institution, has told KRO’s investigative journalism program Brandpunt that he was told in the late 60s that as many as 20 children had been murdered there by a previous friar. He said no one acted on the information he was told. Van Hout first started working at St Joseph in 1969 when friar Augustinus, who had decades of experience in mental health care, told him about the deaths. “[Augustinus] took me to a small room and opened the door. ‘Here were the coffins,’ he said. Then he walked to the room next to it and also opened this door. ‘This was the death room,’ he said. ‘The friar who worked here before me killed twenty’,” Van Hout told Brandpunt, recalling his conversation with the friar. Van Hout believes Augustinus was an ‘extremely reliable source’. “I immediately believed him 100 percent. He wanted to tell me, because I was taking over his patients. He wanted to tell someone, he had nowhere to go with it,” he said. The former head nurse said he informed several authorities about the information he was told, including the then-president of the local court, but no one acted on the information. One of those people who was told the information was St Joseph’s president Gerard Eijsink, who told Brandpunt he could not recall the conversation but said he was shocked to hear the allegations could be true. The 34 boys, according to their death certificates, officially died of heart failure but were never properly investigated. Prosecutors said in August that it would attempt to question people who are still alive, but warned that no one can be convicted if crimes were committed and a suspect is found to be alive. “The possibly suspicious deaths took place more than 55 years ago. If after investigation it appears that criminal offences are concerned, they will have expired by limitation,” prosecutors said in a statement in August. “Therefore no coercive measures can be applied. In view of the extent of the matter and the impact such matters have on society, the [prosecutor’s office deems a criminal investigation relevant.” |
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Canadian former United Church minister, activist, and documentary filmmaker Kevin Annett (“Unrepentant” is free to watch on-line) has declared for years that Canadian authorities are covering up the mass graves of Native children similarly murdered. The major media outlets in Canada do not report on Rev. Annett’s continuing work, and he is bringing Canadian testimonies of Native survivors to a worldwide audience, asking for international criminal court action.
INTERNATIONAL…..CRIMINAL….COURT….ACTION…..
YES…YES…YES…YESSSSSSSSSSS!!
JG
Rev. Kevin Annett is actually convening today, September 12, in London, England, “The International Tribunal Into Crimes of Church and State”. People worldwide are encouraged to take part in activities in their own localities. There is a link called “What To Do” tab on the main website, with Sunday September 18th as the commencement of the new public campaign. http://itccs.org — In the words of Rev. Annett:
“Our Tribunal into Crimes against Humanity has been over two years in preparation. I’m now delighted to announce its formal inauguration across Europe and North America. But our ITCCS has changed and expanded beyond our original vision, from an investigative body into a movement that seeks to permanently end the reign of terror of church corporations.
The ITCCS has been working on the ground in five countries – Canada, the USA, Australia, Ireland and England – to gather the evidence and the witnesses to a massive, global criminal conspiracy directed primarily against children, but aimed as well at indigenous nations and the sovereign rights of all people.
This accumulated evidence now includes conclusive forensic proof that children died violently and from exposure to diseases at Catholic and Protestant Indian schools across Canada, as the result of deliberate actions and policies by both the church and state whose purpose was racial and ethnic extermination.
During 2011, leading up to the planned opening of the ITCCS forum in London on September 15, key leaders of the Tribunal, including me, were subjected to imprisonment, deportation, smears and other “dirty tricks” by the governments of Canada and England, and saw many of our best supporters intimidated into silence. Our arranged London venue was nullified, key funders were compelled to sever their ties with the ITCCS, and formerly supportive media networks suddenly and without explanation withdrew their offers to broadcast our forums and our evidence.
Even more serious, important eyewitnesses to Crimes against Humanity in Canada who were to speak at our Tribunal died suddenly after receiving death threats from the police, including Indian residential school survivors Johnny Dawson, William Combes and Chief Louis Daniels.
And yet these attacks are proof of the impact we have had, and our growing support around the world, including from governments of various nations in Europe.
Beginning in the spring of 2010, we enjoyed mass exposure on European television networks and in print media, and we met with and received the endorsement of our Tribunal from politicians of the European Union and the Italian Chamber of Deputies.
These facts have forced us to recognize that to really sustain our work, we need to broaden the scope of our appeal and campaign to reach and unite all people who are committed to a long term political and spiritual alternative to the church-state system responsible for genocide and crimes against children.
This alone can establish the sovereignty and the political power to ensure justice and recovery on the terms of the victims, and not the perpetrators.
We will commence this new campaign on Sunday, September 18, when our Proclamation of Banishment will be publicly read and posted on Roman Catholic church buildings around the world, and will be followed by direct actions of Eviction and Reclamation.
We invite all people to join us in this sacred purpose of defending the innocent and ensuring the well being of future generations…”
I have trouble with this one Cheryl-Helene. I have absolutely no trouble with prosecuting those in the Vatican who should be prosecuted. I do have trouble with urging Christians to leave their Christian churches, whatever they many be, to join some new “Christian” movement which presumably is somehow Christian but somehow not associated to Christendom.
It’s all a bit over the edge. As of 18 September 2011: “Their church properties are declared to be communalized and as of September 18, will be open to all people on a secular basis to use for their benefit, especially as shelters for the homeless. Their priests and officials will not be allowed to practice in our midst. And their assets and wealth will be declared to be owned by the community, and shall be distributed according to the needs of our people.”
Who plans to enforce this? And how? And who will determine who the needy are? Who will control the purse? Who will declare the various churches are open to all on a secular basis? Who will bar ministers or priests and/or parishioners from entering their churches? Who is to be the leader of this new ‘Christian’ religion?
You’re looking for ” the permanent expulsion and banishment from all of our communities of the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England (Anglican-Episcopalian), and the United Church of Canada (Methodist-Presbyterian)”?
No. Get rid of those in the respective churches who commit the crimes, both those of sexual abuse and those of cover-up.
As a Catholic I will speak to the expressed desire to level or abolish the Roman Catholic Church. I am aghast. Purge the Church: yes, absolutely. Decimate/abolish the Church: no, never.
This gives me chills. It’s scary stuff you’re promoting here. Anarchy.
Enough. I am aghast. God help us that the doors have been opened for the likes of this.
I should have clarified. I went to the http://itccs.org link and read the”Proclamation to the Churches Responsible for the Torture and Murder of our Children”
I see this as a result of something gone very, very bad. Not only gone very, very bad, but left “unfixed” so to speak, while at the same time trying to promote public opinion, which, in reality, we all know is effectively, misrepresenting the factst. Many people have had enough and are not going to take it anymore. People with diverse life experiences, education, interactions, faith, devotions and perspectives, react differently under similar circumstances. I don’t know if I would have taken this approach, but, I do know, the legal social “norms” I have followed for many years, were unsuccessful. I believe, what is extremism to some may be a realistic proactive approach to others. The point is-something has gone very, very wrong in our system and specifically, with the management of allegations of sexual abuse, cover-up and related.
I too believe that this is a very extreme measure and that most people would find this type of radical step way too extreme to ever hold any weight or make any significant difference. However, as Catholics, we do need to recognize that the change in the church needs to start with each and every one of us. We must be the catalyst, the spark of change. We need to stand as people of the church and say enough. The reign of deceit and covering up evil is over. The hierarchy of the church will not ever do this. We cannot keep walking away from the church and allowing this perpetuating evil to desecrate the sanctity of our faith. I pray for change and that when the time comes, I pray that I will be ready to be a part of it.
Sylvia, Gemma, Prima Facie, and JG – thank you for commenting. As I see it, the ITCCS and Kevin Annett are legitimately using ‘shock tactics’ to rouse the church-going public, and the Canadian government, from its present apathy.
For example, look at the farcical publicity we have been treated to in the past few days regarding the “Common Experience Payment” applications under the IRSSA (Indian Residential schools Settlement Agreement). THE IRSSA came into effect 4 years ago, and there are still some potential applicants who have never even heard of it. How is this really possible? And please note: the news reports say 99,000 applications have been processed. So, out of those 99,000 applications, how many have been rejected? Will we ever find out?
But three days before the deadline, after 4 years of silence, everybody now knows that the Government of Canada has acted “… to achieve a fair and lasting resolution of the legacy of Indian Residential Schools.”
Wrong. Rev. Annett and the ITCCS would differ, because there has been no mention of murders committed. None. How does this provide closure?
The ‘shock tactic’ of banishing the Roman Catholic Church from its properties is not legal, of course — since, although paid for by parishioners, buildings and parish halls are notoriously assigned as Church assets for the purpose of sale, when necessary to settle civil lawsuits for sex abuse. Ask Bishop Lahey.
Now, as for Annett setting up some type of substitute, new and improved “Christian” movement… Sylvia states:
“I do have trouble with urging Christians to leave their Christian churches, whatever they many be, to join some new ‘Christian’ movement which presumably is somehow Christian but somehow not associated to Christendom.”
Sorry, I thought that’s what the current Roman Catholic Church leadership has been planning since the Second Vatican Council ended under Pope Paul VI on December 8, 1965.
We are faced with yet another Assisi gathering in October 2011, as Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the 25th aniversary of Pope John Paul II’s historic ecumenical meeting in 1986 — at which a statue of Buddha was placed over the tabernacle. Although the Pope continues to placate traditionalists by explaining that “you come to me” – ism is how he conceives of ecumenism, his actions speak louder than his words. And his words themselves are usually ambivalent: “inviting my Christian brethren of various denominations, the exponents of the world’s religious traditions to join this Pilgrimage and ideally all men and women of good will.”
However, it is a contradition in terms that people of “good will” continue their allegiance to other faiths, in rejection of Jesus Christ.
The Roman Catholic Church doesn’t pass the litmus test, or apply it to others.
I do have trouble with urging Christians to leave their Christian churches, whatever they many be, to join some new “Christian” movement which presumably is somehow Christian but somehow not associated to Christendom.
Your bitterness towards the R C church comes out loud and clear. Please do not let it morph into hatred. That will only hurt you !
Lashing out may give release for pent up anger, but it often bothers the releaser more than those targeted. God Bless !
The whole issue of the Second Vatican Council is another matter Cheryl-Helen. If we got started on that we would be off into the Lefebrites, and the sedvecantists, and who is and is not in schism, and whether or not the nose in this picture and that picture is actually that of Pope Paul VI or that of an imposter.
This is not the forum.
“Yes, how many years can some people exist, Before they’re allowed to be free?”
“Yes, how many ears must one man have, Before he can hear people cry?”
“Yes, how many times can a man turn his head, Pretending he just doesn’t see?”
This story was just published in various media, including highly credible print and online publication Trouw.nl. Some interesting details are missing from the report published above. These details include the following:
a. The boys were severely handicapped and some of the deaths were assumed to be of natural causes (i.e. reduced lifespan)
b. The high levels of mortality was also assumed to be due to epidemics
c. The primary care physician agreed with the former head nurse that the rate of deaths were abnormal. ‘I can’t just keep writing sudden cardiac death on the death certificates’ he reportedly said.
d. Nico van Hout is not the only person who had concerns. The high rates of deaths were discussed and remembered in the villiage Heel.
e. Most key players (physician, persons this issue reported to) are deceased.
I have no doubt this matter will now be examined. Will view the dutch tv program on the topic, if I can locate online. Will provide feedback if added info emerges from the interview with Nico van Hout.