MK forum

"The length of time that this whole investigative process is taking has been difficult for all involved. NTM is grateful for the many hours each investigator has dedicated toward learning the painful truths and ensuring that the offenders are identified once and for all. We are especially grateful to those MKs who have come forward to tell their experiences.

In sharing the results of this process, we will, as agreed be following the Best Practice Standards of the Child Protection and Safety Network and be seeking to balance transparency with the assurance of MK confidentiality. While we are striving for transparency, some information is only appropriate to be shared with the survivors and law enforcement. Survivors will receive confirmation of their abuse and the specifics related to their testimony. They will also receive the independent panel's specific recommendations for the offender in their case, and NTM's subsequent actions related to those recommendations.

When the NTM Executive Board commissioned IHART to investigate historical allegations of abuse, it was determined that confidences of survivors, regardless of how many or how few, must be protected both during the investigation phase and the reporting phase. Whatever the outcomes on any report, the confidentiality of the survivors will be protected.

The goals for those independent reviews of historical allegations of abuse remain unchanged. We desire that investigators here from any MK who wishes to tell their story and that the confidentiality of those who step forward be protected. We also want to confirm that all abusers have been identified and reported. Our intention is to do everything possible to ensure that no child abuser remains in our midst, that we make help readily available to any survivor who desires it, and that we have taken any and all steps necessary to make sure that our organization is as safe as possible for all families."

1. While I agree with the need to protect the confidentiality of MK abuse victims, it seems to me that this could be used as a way to avoid giving out information about abuse in NTM. It has been demonstrated in other cases that it is possible to inform the public of the offenses of particular abusers, while guarding the identity of their victims.

2. What I read here indicates that NTM is concerned about a) ensuring the privacy of MK victims, and b) reporting abusers to law enforcement. In far too many instances, it has already been established that in addition to abusers and victims, there were also other mission personnel who minimized or covered up the abuse, who did not at the time report the abuse, who simply moved an abuser around within the mission, and/or in many other ways enabled or aided the abuser and failed to protect or assist the child. What is NTM's "policy" about how to deal with this third group of people, and why is there no mention of them in this directive?

yeah Raz...


Elie Wiesel once said:

"We must ALWAYS take sides.
Neutrality helps the oppressor, NEVER the victim.
Silence encourages the tormentor, NEVER the tormented."

Yes, Maire, that is so true.

I am also reminded of a recent post I saw on GRACE's Facebook page:

"Investigations that focus exclusively on the offenses of the perpetrator and not the institution are incomplete. On the surface it looks like the institution is being forthright in addressing past abuse when in actuality, it is simply shining the spotlight in a direction other than on itself."

The only reason that the perpetrators existed, is because the first offence was not dealt with so severely that no one else dared offend. This wasn't just a couple of small time offenders, it was a staggering amount of offenders on almost every field, who were protected by those who had the power to deal with it and had their deeds obscured by to many blind eyes turning.

The facts were well and truly gathered with the Fanda report, some fields fared better, some worse. How much more facts need to be gathered to prove that NTM got it so badly wrong, should be held accountable and appropriate punishment applied to those who committed the crimes and those who deliberately attempted to cover up the offending.

We have been expecting NTM to voluntarily repent of the sins of the past, and reach out to MKs who were grievously betrayed, abandoned, neglected and abused, and who are still struggling under heavy loads of pain from damage done so many years ago.

It it pretty clear that isn't going to happen.

I guess we were expecting too much.

Don't know what I was thinking, but I feel a little foolish now.

I guess I'm in a more fortunate position, ironically. I got to experience some of the most callous, fake religious, pious behaviour first hand. So from the word go, NTM was for me not what it claimed to be.

For me, to many lies, to much extortion, blackmail, cheating, discrimination, theft, mind control, all to very very close. So the trust never really evolved past much.

Some days I ask what I am doing here? Why should I care how the lives of other MKs have turned out? After all, I'm hardly a good Christian am I, but when I look at who is down here, claiming they are and then saying they don't care, perhaps it does make sense after all, sort of. If any sense can be made of it.

I don't need the help of NTM, but it would have been nice to have been asked. A "sorry" would have been nice. But then when you're own family is behaving despicably in this matter, what can you expect others to do?

Sometimes I feel all alone at the bottom of the globe, sometimes that is a good thing, sometimes it is a lonely thing.

Right back to the Turkey leftovers .

There's a syndrome!

http://www.alternet.org/print/belief/re ... h-problems