BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
(Continued from Oct. 28, 2022)
IF YOU were to visit our therapy room at the Preda home for abused children or view a video of the Emotional Release Therapy (www.preda.org) at the Preda Foundation, you would witness and be shocked at the violent emotional outburst of pain, anger and hatred, with a violent physical reaction of the sexually abused teenagers and children when recalling the experience of abuse and exploitation. They shout and scream in anger and hatred at the abuser, beating the cushions as if punching their rapist. There is no willingness there, only total rejection and demand for retribution. The sessions are repeated for weeks and months until they change, lose all fear and anger and the hatred is gone.
They become self-confident and empowered young people and they file and pursue a court case to get justice and closure with the conviction of the rapists. Every year, the children win an average of 15 convictions by competent fair judges who study the evidence and believe the clear testimony of the child. Hundreds of courageous brave victims/survivors graduate from the Preda home and have gone on to live happy normal lives after a year at the Preda therapeutic home.
Millions of children get no help and live with these buried experiences that exert pressure on them as they try to appear normal and live fearful, hurt lives carrying the secret of being victims of incest and rape. It affects their normal childhood, their studies and the buried memories and experiences blocks their normal human development into mature strong intelligent people. The effects of that crime lasts a life-time.
In fact, there are so many victims/survivors of abuse in society that cannot revisit the pain and memories because there are no therapy centers that can help them. They are the wounded survivors and they know that extensive child abuse is still going on all around them. No history of child abuse will excuse or justify the victim abusing other children ever.
The task facing honest moral, law enforcers, Church leaders, child defenders and healers with child rights activists is to support all victims in every way possible, report abuse and get victims to the protection and help of the therapy center. Preda is open to all, just ask for any help to rescue, heal or take legal action. Email predainfo@gmail.com.
All must actively oppose the evil of child abuse and trafficking and bring the perpetrators and enablers of child abuse to justice. Remember that pious prayers are not enough, faith is believing that goodness and truth will overcome evil and acting on that to work for social justice following the example of Jesus of Nazareth. Faith without action is dead, says St. James. In years past, abusers got away with their crimes. Now brave children are bringing their abusers to justice with good judges handing down life sentences to child rapists and traffickers. (preda.org}
