Ex-priest from America gets 12 years in prison for abusing girls at orphanage he founded ...
A defrocked priest from America has been found guilty of sexually abusing young girls at an orphanage he founded decades ago in the fiercely Catholic nation of East Timor. Richard Daschbach was charged with child sexual abuse, child pornography and domestic violence after more than a dozen girls and women accused him of mistreatment during their time at the shelter in the remote enclave of Oecusse. He was defrocked in 2018 when the allegations first surfaced.
On Monday, a judge sentenced the 84-year-old, who dedicated more than a decade to mission work, to 12 years behind bars. His lawyer, Julio Farma, said they are disappointed with the court’s verdict and vowed to appeal. In a statement Tuesday, ‘JU,S Jurídico Social’, a group of human rights lawyers representing the accusers, applauded the verdict but said it too would appeal, contending the sentence should be much more severe. Under the law, Daschbach faced more than twice the time behind behind bars that he ultimately received.
Daschbach, the son of a Pittsburgh steelworker, was ordained by the Society of the Divine Word at its Illinois-based headquarters in 1964. A few years later, he traveled to East Timor, where he established a shelter in the 1990s he named Topu Honis, which means “Guide to Life.” In the years since, hundreds of children have stayed at the orphanage under his care.
His accusers, only nine of who were involved in the suit due to legal technicalities, recalled how Dashbach kept a list of the girls’ names on his bedroom door and then chose one to sit on his lap every day during their nightly prayer session. The same girl would be forced to sleep with him that night and typically be subjected to a range of of abuse, including oral sex and rape.
The case marked the first child sex case brought against a priest in East Timor.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ny-defrocked-priest-abuse-jailtime-east-timor-20211221-obdbgy3ddjfm7b7b5qtkgkvnxy-story.html
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