Boarding School for Missionary Kids Uncovers Dozens of Abuse Allegations
The Christian Academy in Japan, a suburban Tokyo school founded in 1950 as a boarding school for the children of Christian missionaries, is investigating 66 cases of alleged past abuse of students at the school spanning decades.
Those allegations include faculty physically and sexually abusing students mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, though a representative for a school alumni group said she is aware of cases as early as the late 1950s and as recent as the 1990s.
A written statement on the school’s website from Anda Foxwell, head of school, said the alleged abuse reportedly occurred “a quarter to a half century ago.â€
But, Foxwell wrote, the Christian Academy in Japan admits that “as a school, CAJ did not provide the nurturing and caring environment for children that we should have provided....
It doesn't make sense to board your children from many respects.
Still, were that to happen to my own, I think I'd be tempted to break the sixth commandment. And yes I understand that we're not called to take justice into to their own hands.
I have been watching NHK Newsroom Tokyo online for months and have never seen this story appear; I wonder why, since they are not favorable to any religious group. I think Japan has the lowest percentage of Christians of any of the developed countries of the world. Yet they have their own form of religion and follow a lot of strange ceremonies and holidays. In fact, Monday July 15 was their Holiday of the Seas, where they give thanks to the seas for all they get from them (including whales, which they just started to fish again). I think they consider themselves to be superior to all other Asian countries, much smarter than them, etc. But, if they are so smart, why is their population disappearing? Every year there are less Japanese around, and they have problems staffing stores and living in small towns (they are very tight on immigration).
In Britain, it is now totally illegal to do any kind of formal work with children, without obtaining a fully enhanced up to date DBS Certificate, which is basically an elaborated police check into criminal records, which must be requested by the sponsoring or employing organisation, with a signed statement, personal photographic and household identity documents produced, and the last 5 years addresses. An organisation ought always to take out serious references, and check them, including if a Christian organisation, church and employment references.
Certificates should be updated about every 2 or 3 years.
Child abuse is so rampant, and never seemed to be taken all that seriously, it seemed, unless, like the Roman religious machine, there were pockets of little clubs where these people just never outed each other, because those exposed directly to the children were all guilty of abuse themselves, on some level, so they all watched out for each other(?)
Anyway Chris, you're right in saying that the crimes against children have no boundrys, and while Rome may be guilty on a massive scale, the problem was, and still is, everywhere. Pedophiles are a sneaky, and "crafty" bunch, and when they're actively grooming, for example, there's often no way to even tell what they're up to.
I'd have to research it again, but I recall surveys that showed most homosexuals were abused as children or minors, or it was at least a high percentage. I'm not clear on how that would cause anyone to gravitate to the same gender later in life, but that's where the facts seemed to point to.
CJ, I took a look at the link you posted up for MinistrySafe, and I'd sure like to see everyone get serious with programs like that for required training, and increasing awareness, etc.
What a tragic story!! I guess it was things like this that caused this school to give up its boarding houses and become a day school.
Paedophiles are often crafty people, and will get into any situation where there are children, even if it means pretending to be born again and take church office, a missionary, or missionary school teacher.
It is not just the Roman Catholic Church that has problems like this, but Protestant and even Evangelical churches.
Besides, it would be better if missionary children were not educated separately from Christian locals, exclusively in English, but should get at least some exposure to the language, food and those aspects of local culture that are not unbiblical. Perhaps, local churches should set up genuinely Christian schools in the local language, or encourage homeschooling. This would avoid a lot of these problems!!
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