BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
THE HARD work of many dedicated social workers, good-hearted judges and compassionate Philippine government officials are helping hundreds of children in conflict with the law (CICL) to find a new, better life in the Preda homes for boys.
Family court judges also protect child victims of sexual abuse from their abusers by referring them to the Preda homes for child victims until justice is done and seen to be done.
Many hundreds of CICL have been freed by caring judges and social workers. The youth have been saved from the suffering and deprivation endured when locked in government detention cells, languishing and suffering mental health problems, awaiting justice that sometimes never comes.
The church personnel need to follow the example of Jesus of Nazareth and engage more in social action for justice, helping victims of sexual abuse and injustice, and they should be doing more in protecting human rights and serving the victims of torture and neglect.
The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Law is designed to prevent all that abuse and deprivation and is supposed to protect the dignity and rights of children. Instead, many are jailed like criminals.
Good wise judges are now freeing children be free that are locked up for months or years in the jail cells of Bahay Pag-asa or youth detention centers in sub-human conditions. The youth think that they are criminals and that is likely what they will become.
Children-at-risk (CAR) are below 15 years old and cannot be charged with a crime but are nevertheless locked up in child care centers by the government authorities that are much like a detention center also.
They must be released to a loving, caring home that respects their rights. Jesus of Nazareth said children are the most important of all (Matthew Ch.18) This is what the good “Judges for Justice” are now doing- saving the children, not punishing them.
Most CICL are uneducated and struggle daily to survive in dangerous, disease-ridden slums and avoid being caught in a hail of gunfire from the murderous death squads. Many poor people and youth are so traumatized by the wanton violence that they reach for more illegal tranquilizer drugs to ease fear, hardship, hunger and despair.
Good judges understand this and are compassionate and kind. They also understand the trauma suffered by child victims of sexual abuse and how hard it is for them to disclose the abuse they suffered. They believe the testimony of the children and give them justice and healing. (To be continued)/PN
