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WORLD NEWSMonday 2 November 2015
Haiti officials look into new allegations against U.S. man
DAVID McFADDEN In this July 9, 2015 file photo, Michael Geilenfeld arrives to federal court in Portland, Maine. returned its verdict in late
Associated Press Associated Press July. Haitian authorities
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) questioned staff members
— Haitian investigators are the accusations of sexual At the defamation court During the Friday search at about Geilenfeld’s where-
looking into new allega- abuse lingered against him case in Maine, which saw the Wings of Hope facility abouts. Communications
tions of child sex abuse in impoverished Haiti be- seven Haitian men tes- in Fermathe, a government director Renee Dietrich
against a U.S. man who cause he was a gay man tify they were molested official who accompanied told them she had spoken
founded an orphanage for in what he described as a as youngsters by the U.S. police showed reporters an to him several days ago but
boys in Haiti’s capital de- homophobic country. man, Geilenfeld said he arrest warrant for Geilen- didn’t know where he was.
cades ago. Geilenfeld, an Iowa na- was inspired by Mother Te- feld signed Thursday by She also showed them un-
Police with an arrest war- tive and former Catholic resa’s missionary work to General Prosecutor Jean answered calls she made
rant searched unsuccess- brother, founded the St. do good works in Haiti. He Abner Emile. Geilenfeld to him on her cellphone.
fully Friday for Michael Joseph Home for Boys in has repeatedly denied any returned to Haiti after the Dietrich declined to speak
Geilenfeld at a modest Haiti’s capital in the 1980s. wrongdoing. U.S. jury in the civil case to Associated Press jour-
private residence in a nalists who witnessed the
mountainside community Friday police searches, re-
above Port-au-Prince and ferring all queries to Geilen-
the nearby Wings of Hope feld’s U.S. lawyer, Peter De-
home for about 30 physi- Troy. He did not respond to
cally and mentally disabled an email seeking comment
children and young adults. and has previously said he
On its website, the facility has no involvement with le-
says it is a “critical part” of gal matters in Haiti.
Geilenfeld’s charitable or- Alain Lemithe, Geilenfeld’s
ganization. Haitian lawyer, said he was
The American is already confident his client would
the subject of another prevail in Haiti’s appeals
criminal case in Haiti that court in the coming weeks
accused him of sexually and said the timing of new
abusing boys in his care. allegations appeared to
He spent 237 days in deten- be “very suspicious.”
tion before being released Haitian investigators were
in April by a Haitian judge accompanied Friday by
who dismissed the charges Valerie Dirksen, a real es-
in a brief trial that was not tate agent from the Atlan-
attended by the accusers, ta metropolitan area who
now adults. But the justice asserts Geilenfeld is a se-
minister granted a re-ex- rial abuser of children. She
amination of the case and sponsors two young Hai-
it is now in court again on tian men who grew up in
appeal. Geilenfeld’s care and she
Geilenfeld had also filed a insists there are many al-
separate civil case in the leged victims who passed
U.S. in which a jury in late through the orphanage.
July ordered a Maine ac- According to Dirksen, the
tivist to pay $14.5 million in new arrest warrant for
damages to him and North Geilenfeld was issued af-
Carolina-based Hearts with ter a magistrate judge vis-
Haiti after finding he de- ited the St. Joseph Home
famed them by leading for Boys and found three
an email blitz accusing the youngsters residing there
American man of sexually with him, a violation of an
abusing Haitian children. earlier mandate by Haiti’s
The activist, Paul Kendrick, child welfare authority.
has requested a new trial. “I will stay here in Haiti un-
In the trial of his U.S. civil til he is arrested,” she said
case in Maine, Geilenfeld outside the Wings of Hope
testified that he believed home.q
