In the first case of its kind in Timor-Leste, a court has sentenced 84-year-old defrocked American priest Richard Daschbach to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing children, many of whom were orphans placed in his care.
The verdict was heard on Tuesday in the Southeast Asian country, a former Portuguese colony considered the most Catholic in the world only after the Vatican, with 98% of its population adherents of the faith.
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Daschbach, once considered a hero for his work in the country, had spent decades working as a missionary in the western enclave of Oecusse, nearly 200 km from the capital, Dili. But his acclaim began to teeter in 2018 when he was expelled from the Church after admitting that allegations of abuse being levelled against him by victims were “100% true.” He was then arrested in April 2019, soon after local news outlet Tempo Timor publicly revealed the allegations.
In the trial, which began in February this year, he was accused of 14 counts of sexual abuse of children younger than 14, many of whom were orphans in his care, as well as one charge of child pornography and domestic violence. Court proceedings were closed to the public and delayed twice—the second time due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Many of the victims reported receiving threats and online attacks during the trial.
Although Daschbach was handed a guilty verdict, the testimonies of many of the victims were not included in the final ruling, freelance journalist Raimundos Oki told VICE World News. He was at the court when the verdict was announced, and described the feeling in the room as one of disappointment despite Daschbach’s conviction.
“When the judge announced the verdict, all the victims in the courtroom actually looked very upset. It seems that a lot of people in the country feel very angry with the decision,” Oki said. “There were at least 14 victims but the court acknowledged only four [testimonies] and we don’t know why.”
“Our children were subjected to horrendous crimes for such a long time because we, as a society, were blinded… ”
JU,S Juridico Social, a social enterprise representing nine victims in the case, also expressed dismay with the ruling. They welcomed the guilty verdict, but issued a statement saying they would appeal to instead push for a maximum sentence of 30 years.
“The guilty verdict and its sentence will not restore the happy youth days the girls have lost,” read the group’s statement. “Our children were subjected to horrendous crimes for such a long time because we, as a society, were blinded by the belief that a figure as the defendant in this case would not commit such crimes against children.”
According to one of the victims, Daschbach would keep a list of children’s names taped to his door to dictate which girl was to spend the night with him. Every evening as they gathered for prayer at the Topu Honis shelter home he founded in 1992 in Oecusse, he would place the chosen girl on his lap, then later take her back to his room, lock the door and rape her.
The ex-priest is also facing charges in the United States on seven counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place, as well as three counts of wire fraud. While the U.S. Department of Justice has not yet announced whether it plans to extradite him, Interpol has issued a “Red Notice” for his arrest.
Despite his sordid crimes, the ex-priest retains a close friendship with high-profile figures in Timor-Leste, including former president and prime minister Xanana Gusmão who went to the court on Tuesday to hear the verdict. Gusmão’s sons and wife, from whom he is separated, have all spoken out publicly against his friendship with Daschbach.
“When I heard that my father had visited the perpetrator, ex-priest RD [Richard Daschbach], I felt sad and angry. I apologize if my father’s actions caused you distress,” wrote Gusmão’s 16-year-old son Daniel Sword-Gusmão in a public letter to the victims in February, after the former president visited Daschbach at his home for a birthday celebration.
Daschbach was transferred to Bekora Prison in Dili yesterday where he will likely serve his 12-year sentence. But his lawyer, Miguel Faria, has said that they will also be preparing an appeal on similar grounds as the victims, claiming that the court failed to take into account the testimony of all witnesses.
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