Former US priest arrested for child abuse in East Timor | Sexual Harassment

A court in East Timor has detained an American priest who was fired for 12 years after he was charged with sexually assaulting a number of orphaned and destitute girls.

Richard Daschbach’s verdict came on Tuesday.

The case for the 84-year-old was the first time that a priest’s rape case had been tried in a staunch Catholic country.

Daschbach, who set up an orphanage for orphans and vulnerable children, has been charged with 14 counts of child rape under the age of 14, as well as one count of child pornography and domestic violence.

The trial began in February in the province of Oecusse, about 120 miles[200 km]west of Dili, near his hideout in Topu Honis. The court cases were closed to the public, and the case was adjourned several times before the end of last month.

Responding to Tuesday’s verdict, Daschbach’s lawyer Miguel Faria said he did not approve of the verdict and that he and his family had been working together to prepare an appeal.

Faria said the verdict was based on the testimony of four victims but did not take into account the testimony of other witnesses.

Lawyers for the JU affiliate, S Juridico Social, praised the verdict but said they had appealed.

In a statement, the panel said that given the magnitude of the charges, Daschbach should be sentenced to more than 30 years in prison.

“The history written today is a sad national story,” the group said. “Our children have been subjected to horrific crimes for a long time because we as a group have been blinded by the belief that the person responsible for this crime will not commit such crimes against children.”

The Vatican removed a Pittsburgh-born priest in November 2018, but Daschbach keeps strong support from others, including former President Xanana Gusmao, who went to court on Tuesday.

East Timor is often the most Catholic place outside the Vatican and Daschbach is revered for his support at a time when Southeast Asia was seeking independence from Indonesia.

The church and foreign donors who assisted in the shelter said Daschbach admitted to being tortured, but the former priest and his lawyers repeatedly refused to comment. During the trial, victims complained of threats and cyberbullying.

Al Jazeera’s Jessica Washington said the case had divided East Timor.

“Timor Leste is a very religious country, with about 98 percent of the population professing to be Catholic. The church has played an important role in the history of this young nation. Many people are still grateful to the Catholic Church for the humanitarian action it took during the Indonesian period. It provided food, shelter, and security during a time of great crisis for many Timorese. As a result, most people are still upset about anything that demeans the Catholic Church, ”said Washington, from Jakarta in neighboring Indonesia.

“In Richard Daschbach, we have a man who is not only a priest but a man of influence. He had the support of not only the country but also international donors who recognized his role as caretaker of the orphanage and other accommodations he had established, and he believed he was doing work for the Timors. wonderful. ”

Tuesday’s ruling was “extremely significant,” Washington said, adding that the ruling “could be a catalyst for more legal action, in order for more victims of sexual violence to come forward.”

Daschbach is also on trial in the United States.

The Washington, DC Supreme Court of Justice has acquitted Daschbach in August of seven counts of sexual misconduct.

If convicted in the US, Daschbach could face up to 30 years in prison in any case, but the Ministry of Justice has not said it will try to oust the former priest.

Daschbach is also wanted in the US on three counts of felony criminal misconduct by one of his traffickers in California, who have been charged in court with breach of trust. Interpol “Red Notice” has been issued worldwide for the arrest of Daschbach.