Help Haiti's children - Demand that accused US pedophile, Doug Perlitz, not be set free on bond
On October 28, 2009 at 11 a.m., accused US pedophile, Doug Perlitz will face, in New Haven Connecticut, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis and either be released on bond or held pending his trial. (See, Haiti program founder's release may hinge on higher bond, Connecticut Post, Oct. 8, 2009; Man charged with Haiti sex abuse pleads not guilty By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN (AP); and School Founder Arraigned In Abuse Charges, wfsb.com, Founder Of Haitian School Is Accused Of Sexually Abusing Nine Former Students.)
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Douglas Perlitz
We urge all who are in the East Coast of the US to be in that court room to support the case of the children of Haiti who are being so maligned by Perlitz's many supporters. Haiti is under occupation with a weak government, some say, that is mostly concerned with pleasing foreigners, not with protecting Haitian rights and domestic development. These Haitian children have no voice, unless we stand up for them. (UN Peacekeepers and Humanitarian Aid Workers raping, molesting and abusing Haitian children).
Recently, I spoke to an audience about the raping and molesting of Haiti's children and women, and in particular about the Doug Perlitz case, where one white man stood up and said, in sum, that Haiti was such a "hellhole," its children getting sodomized is not such a sin if Doug Perlitz the pedophile was also providing them with food and schooling! This is the attitude of Doug Perlitz's supporters in the United States. Please show up in court on October 28 at 11.a.m. and stand for these Haitian children, who have no Haitian government or Haitian institutions that will support their human rights, their innocence, their childhood, their right not to be violated by sex tourists and fake charity workers and UN "peacekeepers."
This is insupportable. Lend a hand in the case of Douglas Perlitz.
You may view a copy of the federal indictment here. Here's are some relevant points in the Douglas Perlitz case:
"1. Between 2002 and 2008, more than $2 million was transferred from the Haiti Fund to an account Douglas Perlitz controlled in Haiti.
"These monies did not include other significant capital expenses and other expenses that were directly paid by the Haiti Fund for Project Pierre Toussaint," Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel said in court papers. "Perlitz had access to an enormous sum of money ... and thus far there does not appear to be an accurate accounting of what happened to these monies."
The Haiti investigation into Douglas Perlitz began in 2007. Western Union records confirm that from 2008 through 2009, "Perlitz was sending money" to individuals in Haiti formerly enrolled in his program.
2. According to the federal indictment, in order to entice and persuade the children to comply with sex acts, Douglas Perlitz provided the promise of food and shelter and provided monetary and other benefits, including but not limited to, U.S. and foreign currency, cellphones, other electronics, shoes, clothes and other items.
Perlitz is accused of grooming the orphaned and desperately hungry street children for sexual acts, exposing them to homosexual pornography and plying them with alcoholic beverages in an effort to persuade them to spend the night in his private residence. According to the indictment, Perlitz told children not to be ashamed during sex acts; other times, he told them he was "crazy."
3. If minors refused to engage in sex acts, Douglas Perlitz would at times withhold necessities, such as bed linen or threaten to expel them from the program.
4 . After allegations of almost 10-year long misconduct of sexual abuse by Perlitz surfaced in 2007, Perlitz tried to block the investigation using his relationship with a religious leader who had influence with Board Members of the Haiti Fund to continue to conceal and attempt to conceal his illegal sexual conduct, the indictment says.
5. According to court papers: "The prosecutor also charged that beginning in July 2008 and continuing until March, Perlitz traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with some of the children and adults associated with his program, shuttered recently because of lack of funds. On the night before Perlitz's Sept. 16 arrest in Colorado, Patel said he admitted receiving 17 calls from Haiti."
6. The Haitian national police department, which began investigating Perlitz's activities in 2007, has a warrant for his arrest.
7. Also according to US court papers: During a conversation with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Douglas Perlitz denied sexually abusing any of the children. But he allegedly said "molestation would be tough" and that the small victims "should just GET OVER IT ... He said he got over his father's death and even though it was tough he moved on ..." (See also, Haiti program founder's release may hinge on higher bond, Connecticut Post, Oct. 8, 2009).
What to do:
1. Attend the Court Hearings - Contact Ezili's HLLN [erzilidanto@yahoo.com] if you or your organization wishes to put together a bus load or groups of concerned citizens to attend the Oct. 28th or any of the other New Haven, CT, court hearings for accused US pedophile, Douglas Perlitz.
2. Contact - Write or fax a letter to the presiding judge -
The Honorable Joan G. Margolis, United States Magistrate Judge
Richard C. Lee UNITED STATES COURT HOUSE
141 Church Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
Chambers Tele: (203) 773-2350 -- Fax: (203) 773-2304
Clerk's Office Tele: (203) 773-2140 -- Fax: (203) 773-2334
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE JUDGE:
The Honorable Joan G. Margolis, United States Magistrate Judge
Richard C. Lee UNITED STATES COURT HOUSE
141 Church Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
DATE: ____, 2009
Dear Honorable Joan G. Margolis,
I am writing to request that you do not release accused pedophile Douglas Perlitz pending trial, because of the gravity of the charges - sexually abusing nine of the children he was helping in Haiti. The sexual abuse took place for close to ten years. Douglas Perlitz is a danger to children everywhere and there is no guarantee this compulsion that he is accused of is limited to just Haitian children in Haiti. If Douglas Perlitz is released on bond, despite the gravity of these charges, all children in the US communities he is released into may be in imminent danger, including Haitian children living in these US communities.
Court papers disclose that during a conversation with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Douglas Perlitz denied sexually abusing any of the children. He allegedly admitted "molestation would be tough" and that the Haitian children who were molested "should just get over it ... He said he got over his father's death and even though it was tough he moved on ..." It would be a dereliction of duty to release Douglas Perlitz on bond based on this depraved indifference alone.
What is "tough" right now for the (local, national and international) community affected by this case, is that Douglas Perlitz's release is even being contemplated. The Court ought to clearly tell Perlitz to "get over it" and detain him pending trial because he is a danger to the community, a flight risk, and based on the indictment, he has virtually admitted to molestations. Moreover, if Douglas Perlitz is released on bond, this will cause greater fear among the victims who were abused as well as allow Perlitz more opportunity to continue his campaigns to stop the victims from testifying. Perlitz will have unlimited access via prepaid cell phones to continue to intimidate the victims and the other children, most of whom are already vulnerable orphans with no parents, no shelter, and little or no State protection in Haiti. If released, Perlitz may use his mobility, access and connections to disappear his victims and witnesses, put them in greater danger or otherwise prevent them from testifying. Please do not release Douglas Perlitz on bond.
Sincerely,
Your name and contact information
_________________________________
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cc: Ezili Dantò
President, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network ("HLLN")
e-mail: ezilidanto@yahoo.com
www.ezilidanto.com
Background information
Persistent image of 'hellhole Haiti' an outdated myth, UN peacekeepers insist
108 sri lankan troops accused of sexual abuse in haiti UN
Peacekeepers 'abusing children' in Haiti - 27 Sep 08
UN Peacekeepers and Humanitarian Aid Workers raping, molesting and abusing Haitian children
Child Abuse/Molestation by white tourists in Kenya
Video Report: Child Abuse by Humanitarian Workers
Paradise for Pedophiles - Senegal
Comparing crime, poverty and violence in the rest of the Hemisphere to Haiti
Pointing Guns at Starving Haitians: Violent Haiti is a myth , and
The Western vs the Real Narrative on Haiti
As a matter of power, money, inequality and access White-sexual abusers, pedophiles and perverted Catholic priests are not just in Haiti, destroying children innocence and lives, but African children are suffering from the pain of sexual abuse throughout the world from sexual tourism or abuse and molestation by Catholic priests/pedophiles fleeing the US after indictments or exposure and by all sorts of charity and humanitarian aid workers.
Please view this video - (Child Abuse/Molestation by white tourists in Kenya) about white-sex assault on children in Kenya as young as 6-years old. No one will tell these stories if we don't. There is an explosion of child sexual abuse in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Kenya The same trend is taking place in Ghana, Senegal, Ghoree Island, and East Africa. The Kenyan clip provides insight into the white-sex assault on our children in Kenya. (See, video reports from Haiti on UN Peacekeepers & Humanitarian aid workers ) raping and abusing Haitian children in exchange for food, schooling or money.)
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Ezili Dantò/Marguerite Laurent
President, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network ("HLLN")
October 10, 2009
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Haiti program founder's release may hinge on higher bond
Judge hints higher bond may be OK
By Michael P. Mayko, Connecticut Post, Oct. 9, 2009
Douglas Perlitz
The Rev. Paul Carrier **************************************
Who’s who in the Perlitz scandal
By Chris Simmons, September 23, 2009, The Mirror
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Comments
These [alleged] salacious acts in Haiti by Douglas Perlitz, who was deeply associated with a Jesuit University in Farifield, CT point to a need to investigate the potential for sex abuse of children in the programs of each Jesuit University that has links to humanitarian work in a foreign country.
Each Jesuit University in the USA needs to immediately inform the directors of university-related committees, which have links to humanitarian work in foreign countries, of the charges in the Perlitz-Fairfield-Haiti scandal to prevent this sort of [alleged] sexual gratification from tarnishing other Jesuit Universities.
The [alleged] salacious acts by Douglas Perlitz are a reminder of the recently disclosed horrendous sex acts against native Alaskans by members of the Jesuit Order, which responded to lawsuits by filing bankruptcy. The acts are also a reminder of Raymond Lahey, 69, who resigned as bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in September 2009 after customs found child porn on his computer and documentation of his travels to countries known for sex tourism.
Fr. Thomas Smolich, at the Jesuit USA headquarters in Washington, DC, should act immediately.
Here is more on our efforts along with that of SNAP on the Perlitz case.
- Letter-writing campaign aims to keep Perlitz jailed, By Michael P. Mayko Connecticut Post, Oct. 14, 2009 | http://www.connpost.com/ci_13552096; and a Press Release from
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) about a Press Conference on Oct. 15 at 1pm . It's important that all concerned with protecting survivors of this sort of awful abuse are aware of each others' work and build on them towards more success in stopping the Church's organized concealment and denials of these crimes. We shall follow up and send a letter to the Jesuits authorities you've mentioned. thank you. Here's the SNAP press release -
Be well. Ezili Dantò/HLLN
Sidewalk news conference at Fairfield University
Clergy sex victims challenge school about predators
One faces criminal charges for recent crimes in Haiti
Judge may free him next week; Group strongly objects
The other was “outed” months ago & now lives in New York
Jesuits paid a quiet $25,000 settlement to one of priest's victims
Yet church let him live/work secretly among teenagers for years
Victims blast Catholic institutions for “their recklessness and deceit”
SNAP wants school & church staff to seek out others who were hurt
What:
At a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will harshly criticize several Catholic institutions (including 3 in CT) for
--- keeping secret about credible, admitted, sex abuse and misconduct allegations against two prominent Catholic leaders, and
--- not doing more to find and help their victims.
The group will also
-- urge citizens to write a New Haven judge, hoping she'll keep one of the predators jailed, and
-- call on church and school officials to explain and apologize for their “secrecy and recklessness”
They will also provide copies of a clergy sex abuse settlement signed by church officials involving a predator priest whose crimes have never been disclosed in CT
When:
Thursday, Oct. 15, at 1:00 p.m.
Where:
Outside the main entrance to Fairfield University, 1073 N. Benson Rd. (between Osborne Hill Rd. & Dill Rd.) in Fairfield CT
Who:
Two/three men/women who were victimized by Catholic clergy and who are members a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
Details:
1) Earlier this month, a Fairfield University alum closely affiliated with the school, Doug Perlitz, was charged with molesting nine kids in Haiti. He ran a social service organization there with close ties to the university. Some media reports suggest that officials ignored or concealed allegations against Perlitz for months.
Next week (Oct. 19), a New Haven judge will decide whether Perlitz should be freed from jail. SNAP strongly feels that, for public safety, he should remain incarcerated. The group will beg citizens to contact Judge U.S. Magistrate
Judge Joan G. Margolis to keep him locked up. (her phone: 203-773-2350 or
203-773-2140, her fax 203-773-2304 or 203-773-2334)
Earlier this week, an advocate for clergy sex abuse victims (Paul Kendrick of Maine, 207 838 1319) and an another group (Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network, 203-829-7210) announced they're making similar requests of the judge.
2) Last fall, for the first time, the New York Times exposed a former Fairfield University Prep principal, Fr. Eugene J. O’Brien, as a credibly accused child molester. His employer, the Jesuits, have not denied that in the 1970s, O'Brien molested a teenaged student. In 1997, that victim was paid a $25,000 settlement which the Jesuits insisted be kept secret. It included a ‘gag order’ forcing the victim to keep quiet about the crimes. That victim, however, has
violating the gag order, disclosed his abuse and provided a copy of the settlement deal.
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news5/2008_10_21_Vitello_JesuitSchool.htm
O’Brien was at Fairfield Prep from 1983 to 1985. In addition to being
president for almost 20 years at Fordham Prep in the Bronx, O’Brien also worked at St. Peter’s prep school in Jersey City, NJ. But for essentially th last 11 years, Jesuit, archdiocesan and church and school officials let O’Brien live among Fordham’s college and high school students (in the Bronx) and present himself as a priest around the world without warning anyone about his crimes.
O’Brien apparently has not been sued and doesn’t face criminal charges. He is now retired and believed to be living at a Jesuit facility in mid-town Manhattan.
SNAP is calling on the Jesuits, two dioceses (Bridgeport and New York) and several schools (Fairfield University, Fairfield Prep, Fordham University and Fordham prep) to "use their considerable resources - including websites, newsletters, parish bulletins and newspapers - to seek out and offer help to victims of Perlitz and O'Brien."
Contact:
Jim Hackett 203-287-8235, 203-432-9201, 203-710-0968 cell
(jim.hackett@yale.edu), Gail Howard 203-846-2774, 203-857-7281
(GHoward@ncc.commnet.edu)
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314-566-9790
(SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Director 314-862-7688
(SNAPdorris@gmail.com)
The bond hearing for Douglas Perlitz has been changed from October 15 to October 28 at 11: a.m. before the Honorable Joan G. Margolis, US Magistrate Judge, at 141 Church St., New Haven, CT.
This is a sign of the intense efforts on the parts of Perlitz' people to get him off on bond. They know we had intended to be in court on the 19th in full force. Please do not let this postponement stop our efforts to give voice to the voiceless children of Haiti affected by the Doug Perlitz case. Let's redouble our efforts, keep sending letters to the judge. If you live in the East Coast, let's schedule to show up in court on Oct. 28 to stand in solidarity with the children of Haiti. Thank you so much everyone. It may be your writing efforts and that of others victim's rights organizations to stop Perlitz' release on bond because he is a danger to the community that is putting pressure on his lawyers to delay perhaps in an effort to bolster Perlilz's bond case some more.
Men anpil chay pa lou - Many hands make light a heavy load.
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