Nepal Orphanage and Pedophiles

“Child rights advocates often hear about paedophiles abusing Nepali children but it’s been quite hard to catch them. Two recent verdicts in Australian and French courts served as stark reminders that orphanages, especially middle size to large dormitory-style facilities, are dangerous places for children. Mr Pringge and Monsieur Haye were not one-time sex tourists interested in young boys— they were founders and directors of orphanages who had been operating in Nepal for years (in the case of the latter, since 1985). Orphanages were the perfect cover for these men: At least 12 boys were sexually abused, raped and exploited on a daily basis.

This begs the question: What made Nepal so attractive to these paedophiles? So attractive indeed that Haye, after being released on bail in June 2004, escaped and came back to Nepal where he was arrested a second time.

Here is a first answer: When they were running so-called “homes”, nobody seriously questioned their motivations, nobody monitored their behavior with the children, nobody established a gatekeeping mechanism to check the admission of children. They were considered “men of charity”, “saviors” of orphans, Bhagwan jastai manchhe. Because of a lack of systematic monitoring and a lack of knowledge about the risks of orphanages, their abuse and exploitation of children could go on for years.

Are these two men exceptions? The answer is a strong and resounding no. We’re not talking of occasional abuse but of a recurring pattern. How could paedophiles not be attracted by Nepal? This is a country that until recently was “promoting children’s homes” and planning to “increase the number of orphanages” (2005-2015 National Plan of Action for Children)? Terre des hommes has been receiving numerous complaints about potential paedophiles operating in or being associated with orphanages. One home I visited some time back was proudly displaying a big portrait of a known paedophile in their main room. When I asked who this person was, the director answered that he was a regular visitor and that he had been sponsoring the education of a boy for many years.”

For the rest of the article, read Thinking (children) outside the box
[My Republica 6/12/11 by Joseph Aguettant]

The US Department of State remarked in May 2011 that they believe that only 10% of children in Nepal orphanages have really been abandoned. Yet they approved most of the pipeline cases.

As in Ethiopia, one must look at how the orphanages are set up and who is running them. The revelations in this article should sicken anyone who reflects on what this must mean for the international adoption business and approvals in Nepal.

For previous coverage of Nepal, check out REFORM Talk’s Nepal archive.

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