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IT may sound a macabre and a strange New Year’s present for
children and their defenders everywhere. It is the good news that
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has put several
high-level political and military suspects on trial for the abuse
and exploitation and torture of children. This is a very new and
welcome development for victims of violence, abduction,
exploitation, abuse and trafficking. “Child offenders beware, your
days are numbered” is the slogan of the children’s rights
defenders. Investigations, still secret, are targeting Filipino
officials and eventually international arrest warrants could be
issued according to human rights campaigners.
The ICC prosecutors are after the masterminds
and the political and police enablers. It is unprecedented but
welcome that child abusers, exploiters and torturers are on trial at
the ICC. It will be putting the Philippine Government on trial too
so the authorities will resist it to be sure. The court targets and
investigates people with command responsibility who violate their
obligation to protect and prevent child abuse.
The immunity from investigation and prosecution
in the Philippines that protects big-time politicians who support
the sexual exploitation of children and of the military and police
who put children in prisons will be torn away. The children in
police stations is a violation of international conventions on
children’s rights. The police have banned Filipino NGO social
workers and foreign visitors from visiting the children and bringing
help and care to the kids. What are they hiding and covering up?
Many children released by court order have given
testimony of their suffering. One youth described how he was beaten,
hazed, and forced by guards to drink the phlegm and spittle of other
inmates, endangering his health. The children released to NGOs have
signed testimonies that show abuse and serious sexual and physical
torture.
Nothing and no one can stop an International
Criminal Court investigation, not even a president or powerful
politicians, no matter how corrupt. The UN Security Council has
frozen all bank accounts and assets of suspects, banned traveling
abroad and ordered an investigation of their family interests for
ill-gotten gains that may have come from their abuse of children.
Martin Kouakuo Fofie of the Ivory Coast is one example.
The ICC uses the evidence from victims to build
a case before issuing an international arrest warrant. Thomas
Lubanga of the Ivory Coast was charged and is on trial for child
abduction, recruiting child soldiers and child abuse, so are several
powerful commandeers.
The UN action can also be used against suspects
if they thwart, block or obstruct the ICC investigators and against
high government officials if cooperation is not forthcoming. No
matter where the masterminds hide, the court prosecutors are
relentless in pursuit. The present trial at the ICC has the African
abusers and torturers facing lifelong prison sentences. The ICC is
bringing more and more such criminals to justice and no matter where
they hide reward money gets informers to reveal their whereabouts.
Former Ivory Coast president Charles Taylor and
Germain Katanga have been arrested and brought to The Hague to
answer for their crimes against children. The world is changing in
favor of the children who are speaking out and their voices are
being listened to and heard around the world.
Many Filipino officials and military personnel
have property abroad and their children are in exclusive schools in
the USA and the EU. All that will be in jeopardy if they are listed
as responsible by command responsibility for allowing the sexual
exploitation, torture or abuse of children. Lets hope there is a
final ending of the dirty sex industry that is destroying children
and the nation. The ICC is the hope of abused children and we must
give it all the support it deserves.
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