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A30 world news
Diaranson 22 December 2021

American ex-priest in East Timor found guilty of sex abuse

lap, surrounded by a ring of
children and staff members In a statement Tuesday, JU,S
praying and singing hymns Jurídico Social, a group of
before bed. human rights lawyers rep-
resenting the accusers, ap-
They said the girl on his lap plauded the verdict but said
would then sleep with him it would appeal, arguing that
that night and that various the sentence should be harsh-
types of abuse -– from oral er. Under the law, Daschbach
sex to rape -– would occur, faced more than twice the
sometimes involving other prison time he received.
children too. The accusers
have not been identified be- “The history written today is
cause of fears of retribution. a bitter history for the entire
nation,” the group said. “Our
Daschbach’s lawyer, Julio children were subjected to
Farma, said they are disap- horrendous crimes for such a
pointed with the court’s ver- long time because we, as a so-
dict and plan to appeal the ciety, were blinded by the be-
decision issued by the three lief that a figure as the defen-
judges. dant in this case would not
commit such crimes against
“Evidence provided by the children.”
shelter matron and former
(AP) — A defrocked tacks. Daschbach maintains ety of the Divine Word at its students who lived in the or- Separately, a U.S. federal
American priest accused strong backing from some, headquarters outside of Chi- phanage were ignored by the grand jury in Washington,
of sexually abusing or- including former President cago. He arrived in the coun- court,” Farma told reporters, D.C., indicted Daschbach
phaned and disadvan- Xanana Gusmao, who went try now known as East Timor alleging that some accus- in August. He faces seven
taged young girls under to the court on Tuesday. East several years later, setting up ers changed their statements counts of engaging in illicit
his care in East Timor was Timor is the most Catholic a shelter in the 1990s named made earlier to authorities in sexual conduct at the shel-
found guilty Tuesday and place outside the Vatican and Topu Honis, which means Oecusse after being taken to ter. If convicted in the U.S.,
sentenced to 12 years in Daschbach is revered for his “Guide to Life.” the capital, Dili, and the new Daschbach could receive up
prison, in the first case of role during the tiny South- statements became the sole to 30 years in prison for each
its kind in the staunchly east Asian nation’s fight for Hundreds of children passed basis for the judges’ decision. count, but the Department of
Catholic nation. independence. through the shelter under Justice has not said whether
Daschbach’s care. More than “We cannot accept this and it plans to try to extradite the
Richard Daschbach, 84, who The church and foreign do- a dozen females came for- will appeal,” Farma said. ex-priest.
spent decades as a mission- nors who once supported ward with abuse claims, but
ary in the country’s remote Daschbach’s shelter said he only nine were registered in Dozens of Daschbach’s sup- Daschbach also is wanted in
enclave of Oecusse, faced confessed to the abuse, but the case due to legal techni- porters, including several the U.S. on three counts of
charges of child sexual abuse the former priest and his law- calities. The Associated Press children brought by Gusmao wire fraud linked to one of
as well as child pornography yers have at various times re- spoke with five of the accus- from Dili, wept and some his California-based donors,
and domestic violence. fused to comment. They did ers. were screaming as it became which accused him in a court
not make their legal strategy clear the court would sen- case of violating an agree-
The trial began in February public and court proceedings They recalled their experi- tence the former priest to jail. ment to protect those under
but was postponed several were closed. ences in vivid detail, say- Some in the impoverished his care. An Interpol “Red
times before concluding last ing Daschbach kept a list of enclave revere Daschbach so Notice” has been issued in-
month. During the proceed- Daschbach, the son of a young girls on his bedroom highly, they believe he pos- ternationally for Daschbach’s
ings, victims complained Pittsburgh steelworker, was door and that every night one sesses special powers and is arrest.
about threats and online at- ordained in 1964 by the Soci- of those girls would sit on his the victim of a conspiracy.

Ex-South African leader Zuma can appeal return to jail

(AP) — Former South ment. underwent surgery in August scended into chaotic violence people died in the country’s
African President Jacob this year. in which trucks were burned, worst violence since the end
Zuma will be allowed to Zuma was convicted and shops and warehouses looted of apartheid in 1994.
appeal a court ruling that sentenced for defying a court Zuma’s lawyer, Dali Mpofu, and burned. More than 300
ordered him back to jail order ordering that he appear had argued that returning
to serve the remainder of before a government-backed him to jail “is equivalent to a
his sentence, a judge ruled commission probing allega- death sentence.”
Tuesday. tions of corruption during
his tenure as president from “You are saying he must re-
Zuma, 80, had been released 2009 to 2018. turn to that place where the
on medical parole earlier this medical doctors and prison
year, but the Gauteng High Zuma’s release on medical authorities say they cannot
Court in the capital, Pretoria, parole had been granted by cater for him,” Mpofu said.
ruled last week that his parole former correctional services “Then what else is going to
had been illegal. On Tuesday, commissioner Arthur Fraser happen except that he must
Judge Elias Matojane said the against the recommendation die there.”
ex-president can now appeal of the parole board.
that finding. Zuma’s imprisonment in
He served nearly two months July sparked protests by sup-
“Because of his illness and of his 15-month sentence, porters who demanded his
advanced age, he needs com- but this was mainly in the immediate pardon and re-
passion, empathy and hu- hospital wing of the Estcourt lease from jail.
manness,” Matojane said of Correctional Center and a
Zuma in delivering the judg- hospital in Pretoria, where he The protests quickly de-