Church to launch child sexual abuse awareness programme

Bishop Malzaire

The Diocese of Roseau has initiated a sexual abuse awareness programme called Protecting God’s Children.

Bishop of Roseau His Lordship, Gabriel Malzaire, says the new initiative is in keeping with a commitment by the Bishops of Episcopal Conference.

According to Bishop Malzaire, the initiative intends to create communities of informed adults, who model appropriate behaviors, are vigilant to the warning signs of abuse, take action to prevent abuse and improve safety.

“The Bishops of the Antilles Episcopal Conference have made a commitment to do all in their power to protect the children of our region from sexual abuse,” he said.

A workshop for teachers, principals and staff of all Catholic schools on the island is carded for Friday to officially launch the program.

It is expected to take place at the St Gerald’s Hall from 8-1pm.

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32 Comments

  1. lol
    January 6, 2011

    Great !

  2. Righteous!
    January 5, 2011

    I hope that the program involves the priests…..Maybe we can get some of them to confess their sins against God’s Children…It will also be good to engage the kids to help them come forward when they are being abused by the priests.

    Good Program Father!!!

  3. Thank you Bishop
    January 5, 2011

    Thank you bishop. Protecting God’s Children is a wonderful program. I have taken this program in the US. In the US any person who works in youth ministry is required to take this course and have continuing education every year. It teaches you how sexual predators operate, how they groom their victims, how to detect signs of abuse, and how to deal with reporting abuse. I think this course will be a blessing for Dominica. It will help protect God’s children. I appreciate your leadership bishop!

  4. Jaime Lewis
    January 5, 2011

    I would like to commend the Bishop for convening this meeting on such an important topic. We have been hearing so much about the increase in childhood sexual abuse in Dominica, and we need leaders to address this problem. It is important that teachers are informed on the signs of abuse, and how to report their findings to a higher authority for further investigation. There must be a unified approach to this problem, maybe a task force that includes teachers, doctors, law enforcement, the court system, religious and business leaders.

    Yes, the Catholic Church and other religious denominations have come under fire for the abuse of children, and this is one way of addressing this problem. If we are not part of the solution, then we continue to be part of the problem.

  5. makes no sense
    January 5, 2011

    when last a priest address walk though the community embressing the issues….. they just sit in ivory towers looking down… i think they are out of touch

    • April 7, 2015

      Obviously, there are priests as well as evangelical pastors who have a deep concern about sexual child abuse.

      This is not a problem that is solved by a priest walking through the community addressing the issue. It is attacked by dispensing a knowledge of the subject through talks, lectures, courses, and by confession, much prayer, and counseling. Help also needs to be provided for children who have been victimized.

      There needs to be a trusted, trained, impartial person the children know they can talk to in or near every school.

      Known cases of molestation must be reported to the police immediately. Let nobody interfere or talk you out of reporting a case of sexual child abuse to the police. Nobody has this authority. It is a police matter.

      I congratulate Bishop Malzaire and the Bishops of Episcopal Conference for their contribution. I realize this news article was posted in 2011 but I hope the presentation will be repeated.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Evangelist.

  6. Democratic lover
    January 5, 2011

    Better late than never. Infirmary was started by the British government, not the catholic church.

  7. Big-Bannan
    January 4, 2011

    Recently the Catholic Diocese filed for Bankruptcy due to world-wide law suites (not just in the US) over priests who continue to sexually abuse children. Does Dominica have a way of uncovering the truths of our so called “fathers”? If in fact they are child molesters? I know my grandmother would roll in her grave if she thought i believed catholic priests had sex with little boys.

    • concerned citizen
      January 5, 2011

      I am in agreement with you you Big Banan Catholic priests are world renown child molesters and it is a known fact that the vatican pays millions of of dollars every year to cover sexual sins committed by members of the clergy. Babylon Is fallen my people. Get out before it is too late and dont be partakers of her sins, which has reached up to heaven.

  8. hmmm
    January 4, 2011

    I am shocked to read so many negative comments here. For months we have been hearing news about the increase of sexual abuse in Dominica. Government has been talking so much about doing something about it but with little action…the courts are not helping much with their light sentences…now the catholic church is making an effort to do something and Dominicans are bad talking them! I really doubt that it is the priests and nuns that are molesting all the young girls and boys in my country. Actually it is the teachers, father, uncles, politicians etc.. who are raping our children.

    What ever it is they are going to do on Friday should not just be for the Catholic schools, but the government schools as well. There are plenty teachers in the system taking advantage of underage girls

    Any way, I will have to give the catholic church a thumbs up for this one. Good luck.

    • concerned citizen
      January 5, 2011

      There are many priests in system as well taking advantage of underage boys.

      • Anonymous
        January 5, 2011

        your so rediculous they are tryin to support a serours issue thats the best thing you trying to comment

    • youngatheart
      January 5, 2011

      someone somewhere has to start and if they are the ones the so be it. i wish the invitation could go out to all interested.

  9. for real
    January 4, 2011

    this is a good initiative by the church. it should not just scratch the surface but go so far as to expose all those who abuse, especially children, and not hide them or transfer them to another community or province. this shit needs to stop!

  10. Devoted Catholic
    January 4, 2011

    It’s about time, that was long in coming. I am looking forward to seeing the implementation.

  11. FED UP DOMINICAN
    January 4, 2011

    Firstly make all the sermons in every catholic church on Sunday be about child abuse (sexually and physically).

    Also speak to all other demoninations and ask them to do the same.

    Let the ones commiting these crimes know that they are being watched, and will have to answer to a higher judge.

  12. ....
    January 4, 2011

    I’M NOT A CATHOLIC AND NEVER WILL BE BUT GIVE THE MAN CREFIT FOR CORRECTING THEIR WRONGS HOWEVER THE BUTTOM LINE IS THEY ARE A CULT RELIGION…………. RESEARCH CULT RELIGIONS AND LEARN

    • OUTBUTU
      January 4, 2011

      If the Catholic church is a cult, then christianity is a cult.

      and if the church is a cult then u are walking by that cult too

      the bible as you see it was put together by that cult
      the calender yr u go by was created by that cult
      the genetics of food improvement was because of that cult
      the very existance of christianity is owed to the military efforts of that cult in beating back the rampaging muslims in the middle ages.
      it is this cult that is the biggest humanitarian donor worldwide
      but who’s checking
      locally;
      this cult brought in the credit union in dominica to build up the poor people

      it is that cult that brought so many to education in dominica
      it was that cult that started pre school and the empowerment of women through the social center
      it was that cult that erected the dominica infirmary
      it was that cult that gave us this long period of christian peace

      • concerned citizen
        January 5, 2011

        It was also that cult which killed millions of christians during the dark ages and changed the word of God to suit their evil desires, by accepting paganism into the church. Tell the church to return to the Bible and do away with traditions.

      • bro
        January 5, 2011

        are you justifying a cult by works? would you encourage a young person to be a drug dealer

      • Remember
        January 5, 2011

        It is that same cult that bubbled all the poor people who had land in those days to get them to live their lands for the catholic church in order for them (poor people to go to heaven when they die) while these poor people’s children were left with nothing……The church used religion to oppress the poor……..ask the Catholic Church ..how they wre able to obtained all the lands they have.

        In truth and in fact the catholic church has and continues to play a great role in the contination of poverty in this country.

        I hope the bishop sets up a task force to look at the high level of corruption that is staring the bishop right in his face in the country.

        • c bruce
          January 6, 2011

          ok i give up

  13. Bu**g****d by the Church
    January 4, 2011

    The Church knows a lot about his subject as it is the leading offender. If you want your kid to be safe, them them never to go near a priest without a suitable weapon of self-defence.

    Remember our gay friends the Christian Brothers of Ireland??

  14. The marine
    January 4, 2011

    Good initiative Father .i hope you launch your programme in the church first and then to the wider communities.they say charity begins at home,right!!!

  15. mouth of the south
    January 4, 2011

    johnny boy do u like my gown,,,,yes father,,,,ok johnny boy do want to hold it,,,,no father,,,why not johnny boy,,,well father it’s not necessary,,,,hhmmm johnny u need a lesson,,,kneel with ur head facing down n say 10 our fathers and 20 haile marys,,,,in the mean time i’m going to tighten my rod,,,,,ok father!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

    • Nostradamus
      January 4, 2011

      What a jerk

    • fire in the hole
      January 4, 2011

      hahahaha MOTS u must have been johnny boy :wink: :wink:

  16. worried dominican
    January 4, 2011

    great job bshop too many of our young ladies are being abused by these men.

    • dnokries
      January 4, 2011

      you forget about little boys too?

  17. Piper
    January 4, 2011

    Talking to his priests would go a long way.

  18. Neutrality
    January 4, 2011

    They would know!

  19. principles
    January 4, 2011

    my GOD what about physical abuse programme. more kids are vbeing physically abused than those that are sexually…..they are both horrable acts done to kids

    the other day i read some comments on dno how some guys who was murdered burst opened his 12 year old head, he held cultlass to his kids throats and he was free raoming the streets. this man should have been injail for comitting such acts.
    the authorities do nothing to jhelp physically abused kids, and they wonder where is all the violence comming from.

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