Two articles of interest were posted yesterday evening:
(1) 16 August 2015: Australian diplomat’s son in Tokyo St Mary’s child sexual abuse story
Good news: The Brothers of Christian Instruction/St. Mary’s International School sex scandal and cover-up has hit the news in Australia!
The article includes information regarding Mrs. Bernstein’s account of what transpired after she and her husband learned that their son Jacob had been sexually abused at SMIS, including the raucous meeting at the embassy, the decision by the Australian Ambassador not to call police, and the ‘threat’ to Gordon Jacobs that he was not to mention this again if he wanted a career.
And, good news, Jacob Bernstein has been granted a hearing with the Australian Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse. I do believe the role played by diplomats in this dirty mess and cover-up warrant investigation. One can only wonder what deals, if any, were made behind closed doors to keep the scandal under wraps.
I mentioned some time ago that I have more information to post on the SMIS scandal, and indeed I do. I will start at that later today.
(2) 07 August 2015: “Updated: Government does not agree with release on parole of ‘priest’ guilty of sexual abuse” & related article
As you see, Godwin Scerri, child molester and now defrocked former priest with the Missionary Society of St. Paul who served in Canada (London Diocese) from 1981 to 1992, is out on parole in his native Malta. Scerri served only three years of a five year sentence.
Scerri, some may recall, fled Canada in 1993 when charges were laid in relation to allegations of sex abuse of a then 12 year-old-boy at Pelee Island and Emeryville (Diocese of London, Ontario): The the abuse started in 1983 and continued to 1987. According to the Windsor Star, as recently as August 2011 the Ontario Provincial Police was anxious to to have Scerri extradited to Canada to answer to charges of sexual assault and gross indecency.
Was the extradition process ever started? I don’t know. I would hope so.
Back then I speculated that if the process were started and Scerri happened to be in a Maltese jail when it was completed an agreement could have been made to have him put on a plane bound for Canada upon his release. That, alas and obviously, did not happen.
A reminder here that tThe Canadian complainant went to police and charges were laid in 1993. Yes, 1993.
That’s 22 long and agonizing years ago!
Surely now that Scerii is ‘free’ the OPP – and of course the Canadian government – will ensure that Scerri is extradited, Scerri can meet his accuser face to face, and justice can be done?
(Extradition is not, as we have learned in the past, a swift process. Remember the debacle with now defrocked Oblate Eric Dejaeger? Dejaeger, like Scerri, fled to his native land to elude justice. In 1995, packed up and was off to Belgium. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but, that was the end of it. Then, in early 2011, Dejager was tracked down and his whereabouts publicized. The extradition process presumably began. In that instance thankfully – due to a sharp investigative journalist – it was discovered that Dejaeger had lost his Belgian citizenship and in January 2012 he was deported, – booted from his native land! I honest to goodness fear that had he not been deported we here in Canada would still be fighting to get him extradited!)
Enough for now,
Sylvia