How Could You? Hall of Shame-Australian-run Love in Action Cambodian Orphanage-Missing Children UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Phnom Penh, Cambodia, “[o]fficials and a rights group said police in the capital, Phnom Penh, on Friday raided the unlicensed orphanage, called Love in Action, and rescued 21 children.

Gratianne Quade, a spokeswoman for SISHA, an anti-trafficking organization in Cambodia, said an Australian woman who ran the orphanage was not arrested in the Friday raid and her current whereabouts were not known.

Poverty compels many parents in Cambodia to send their children to orphanages. SISHA estimates that 70 percent of Cambodia’s 100,000 orphans actually have at least one parent.

Um Sophanara, an official at the Social Affairs Ministry, which oversees orphanages, confirmed the closure but declined to give details. A SISHA statement said the raid came after several groups of children had fled the orphanage recently and reported a variety of neglect and abuse problems to authorities.

“The shutdown is a massive step forward, demonstrating the Cambodian government’s increased capacity to deal with abusive orphanages,” SISHA said, adding that its Australian owner was under investigation for human trafficking, child abuse, neglect and running an unregistered orphanage.

An investigation found “the food standards were subpar, some children were visibly ill and not taken to a doctor, the facility was dirty, sewage was blocked, and the living quarters were overcrowded,” the SISHA statement said, adding that interviews with children revealed “many instances of physical abuse from the staff.”

Love in Action’s website describes it as a Christian-run facility that receives funding from church groups in Australia.

Separately, the 36-year-old director of an orphanage in northwestern Siem Reap province was arrested Friday for repeatedly sexually abusing two girls, 11 and 12, over a four-month period, police said.

The suspect, Mon Savuth, was detained for the alleged abuse at the Angkor Orphanage & Education Organization, but the center — which cares for 36 children — remains open, said Duong Thavery, the head of the anti-trafficking police unit in Siem Reap.”

 

Cambodia shuts foreign-run orphanage accused of beating children, human trafficking

[Washington Post 3/25/13 by Associated Press]

 

Cambodia shuts Australian-run orphanage called Love in Action

[The Australian 3/25/13 by AAP]

REFORM Puzzle Pieces

Update/hat tip to commenter Astrin: “South East Asia Investigations into Social and Humanitarian Activities was  part of the raids on the Christian orphanage Love in Action in Phnom Penh last  Friday.

The orphanage is mostly run from Australian donations and was founded in 2004  by Sunshine Coast woman Ruth Golder, 71, who is fighting the allegations

Five children left the orphanage last month and walked across the city to report  they were beaten and not fed properly in the facility, according to a statement  by SISHA.

Two weeks later, another seven children arrived at the volunteer’s place  where those five children were and claimed some of them had been kicked out and  others had escaped.

They made similar allegations about child neglect at the Love in Action  orphanage.

An official investigation was launched by SISHA staff along with officials  from the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation, the Phnom  Penh Department of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation, and the  Department of Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection.

SISHA said Ms Golder admitted to authorities her orphanage was not  registered.

They raided the orphanage on Friday and removed 21 children, with seven  unaccounted for.

Officials are trying to trace the families of the children and Ms Golder’s  son, Rod Golder, says his mother will fight to get the children back.

“Mum has been doing this all her life and there is no way in the world she  would do any of this,” he told the  Sunshine Coast Daily.

“She adores the kids and just loves it over there; she has always worked hard  with good intentions.”

Ms Golder has lived in Cambodia since 2001 and according to the Love in  Action website, the orphanage is mostly funded by donations from  Australians.

“Love in Action is a charity based on Christian values which aims to show the  people of Cambodia what caring and love really means,” the website says.

The babies which were in the orphanage are with the charity Children In  Families, while the older children have been taken to government institutions  for care.

They will be reunited with their families or placed in foster care.

SISHA will try to track down the families and are also preparing to represent  the children if the case goes to court.

 

Orphanage shut down amid child abuse allegations

[Brisbane Times 3/25/13 by Bridie Jabour]

Update 2: “A Queensland woman whose Cambodian orphanage was reportedly raided amid abuse  allegations has claimed she called in the police herself because she was  struggling to feed the children.

Ruth Golder, 71, has run the Christian Love in Action orphanage in Phnom Penh for  13 years.

Last month the 21 children living at the orphanage were taken away by police  working with the anti-human trafficking non-for-profit group Sisha.

Sisha claimed on its website that children had run away from the orphanage,  and that there were reports of beatings and signs of human trafficking.

The Cambodia Daily has published comments from police that  refute Sisha’s version of events, saying Ms Golder asked them to come to the  orphanage to collect the children.

“We did not go to that orphanage to raid it,” Juvenile Protection Bureau  chief at the Interior Ministry’s anti-human trafficking department, Lao Lin,  said.

“We just went there to receive the children from the director of the centre  after she [Ms Golder] requested that the Phnom Penh social affairs department  help the children, because she no longer had the ability to feed the  children.’’

Police have also told the newspaper they would allow the Love in Action  orphanage to reopen if the correct paperwork is filled out.

Ms Golder has admitted to running the orphanage without registering it with  Cambodian authorities.

Her Australian spokesman, Rob McVey, said donations to the charity had dried  up before Ms Golder decided to call in police because she could not afford to  feed the children.

‘‘For months they’ve been struggling. I mean really struggling,’’ he told the Sunshine Coast Daily.

‘‘She was trying to make other arrangements for the older kids, arrangements  of good quality.’’

Mr McVey said Ms Golder is negotiating for the return of the babies from  government care and said she had enough money to run a nursery.

Ms Golder wept through an interview with Fairfax Media when the children were  first taken away last month but did not say she had called the police  herself.

‘‘I love the children with all my heart,’’ she said.

‘‘I will fight to get them back.’’

Sisha has since released a joint statement with police saying the orphanage  did not meet ‘‘minium’’ standard of care requirement but do not mention the  human trafficking allegations which remain on the website in a separate  statement.

There are still seven children from the orphanage unaccounted for.”

 

Orphanage owner claims she initiated raid

[Brisbane Times 4/8/13 by Bridie Jabour]

“The details surrounding the raid of a Cambodian orphanage run by an  Australian woman  are becoming murkier with officials, a human rights  organisation and the owner unable to agree on what actually happened.

The Love in Action orphanage was raided last month with 21 children taken away from the  owner, Sunshine Coast woman Ruth Golder.

Since then a variety of reasons have been given for the actual raid with Ms  Golder, 71, maintaining her innocence the entire time.

In the latest twist, her supporters have refuted allegations Ms Golder called  the police to pick up the children after she ran out of money to feed them.

Ms Golder’s spokesman endorsed the version of events when speaking to the  Sunshine Coast Daily on Sunday but different supporters came out on  Monday saying it was not true.

Initially, it was the juvenile protection bureau chief at the Cambodian  Interior Ministry’s anti-human trafficking department, Lao Lin, who told a local  newspaper Ms Golder had called officials in to take the children because  she could not afford to feed them.

Supporters of Ms Golder contacted the Sunshine Coast Daily on Monday  to say comments from Ms Golder’s spokesman had been “misconstrued” and denied Mr  Lin’s version of events.

Ms Golder also denied anti-human trafficking group Sisha’s version of events  last month after they released a statement saying the orphanage was raided after  children escaped complaining of starvation, beatings and signs of human  trafficking.

Seven children who were at the orphanage are still unaccounted for.

The email sent to the Sunshine Coast Daily said Ms Golder had been  the victim of false reports and a vindictive campaign to shut down the  orphanage.”

 

Mixed messages over orphanage ‘raid’

[Brisbane Times 4/8/13 by Bridie Jabour]

Update 3: “LOVE in Action founder Ruth Golder has appeared before Cambodia’s Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Department, to give evidence at its investigation into her organisation.

The charity, founded by the former Bli Bli resident has for nine years operated an orphanage and foster home.

“They spent three hours with her and they truly did see a woman whose only heart is to love and care for the children of the nation and their peoples,” Ruth’s daughter Tracey Golder, the LIA’s executive director and International Project manager, said in a Facebook post.

“Ruth’s name is clear of all accusations as that is just what they are – accusations, falsehoods and lies. All is still being processed, so keep praying for us.”

The future of the charity’s operations was jeopardised in March, following a reported raid and the removal of children, triggered by claims of human trafficking and abuse.

“Ruth sends her personal thanks to you that have given. You know mumma, she cried with blessing as did I.”

The Daily reported last month that LIA had decided to abandon its work with young children, nor would it re-register in Cambodia as a non-profit organisation, but would continue working with young adults over 18.

The article also assured that Ruth would continue working as an LIA missionary and also offer her expertise to other support organisations.”

Investigation clears Love in Action founder: daughter

[The Gympie Times 6/10/13]

I guess they don’t care about the seven children unaccounted for!