US scout leaders covered up generations of sexual abuse inflicted on its young members. |
US scout leaders covered up generations of sexual abuse inflicted on its young members, victims' lawyers say, as thousands of pages of so-called "perversion files" were published online. Unveiling details from the 14,500 pages of documents, including handwritten notes, the lawyers said on Thursday Boy Scouts of America (BSA) still had not done enough to root out pedophiles using the youth movement to prey on minors. In response, the US scouting body's head apologised to victims, and admitted that its response had in some cases been "plainly insufficient, inappropriate or wrong". The previously confidential files, officially called the "Boy Scouts Ineligible Volunteer Files", reveal details of alleged abuses by more than 1200 scout leaders and other adults between 1965 and 1985. They were released in response to an order by the Oregon Supreme Court. "What these files represent is ... the pain and the anguish of thousands" of scouts, said lawyer Paul Mones, while presenting details of the files at a press conference in the northwestern US state. The lawyers highlighted a 2010 court case, in which an assistant scoutmaster in a Mormon Church-sponsored troop sexually molested a boy in the 1980s. The abuser involved had previously confessed to molesting 17 other boys in the troop, but was allowed to return to scouting within a few months and then found a new victim. Responding to the release, Boy Scouts of America national leader Wayne Perry reiterated an apology to the victims. In a statement on its website, the organisation also said it has improved its procedures to ensure safety, including now requiring background checks and training programs of its leaders. Although the US scouting organisation, which counts nearly four million adult and youth members, has long sought to keep the files out of public view, it could face a damning wave of lawsuits and bad publicity. The organisation, founded in 1910, is best-known for promoting outdoor activities and community service for boys aged seven to 21. (Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
記錄美國男童子軍兒童性虐案件的上萬頁“變態(tài)文檔”近日在網(wǎng)上曝光。受害人的律師稱,美國童子軍負(fù)責(zé)人在長達(dá)幾十年的時(shí)間里掩蓋了這些兒童性虐案件。 這些文檔有1.45萬頁,其中還包括一些手寫的記錄。律師上周四在揭露這些文檔的細(xì)節(jié)時(shí)說,戀童癖者利用這項(xiàng)青年運(yùn)動(dòng)來對未成年人實(shí)施性虐,但美國男童子軍負(fù)責(zé)人在根除這種行徑方面做得仍然不夠。 美國男童子軍機(jī)構(gòu)對受害者表示道歉,承認(rèn)對某些性虐案件的應(yīng)對“明顯不足,做法不當(dāng),甚至是錯(cuò)誤的”。 之前的一些名為《童子軍不合格志愿者檔案》的機(jī)密文檔揭露了在1965年至1985年間,超過1200名童子軍負(fù)責(zé)人和其他成年人性虐男童的細(xì)節(jié)。 俄勒岡州最高法庭裁定公開這些文檔。 律師保羅-莫尼斯在俄勒岡州舉行的一次記者招待會(huì)上公布了文檔細(xì)節(jié),他說:“這些文檔代表著數(shù)千名童子軍的痛苦和心酸。” 律師著重強(qiáng)調(diào)了2010年的一起案件。上世紀(jì)80年代,一名童子軍副團(tuán)長虐待了一名男童,案件發(fā)生在摩門教贊助的童子軍團(tuán)隊(duì)中。 這名副團(tuán)長先前曾承認(rèn)虐待了該團(tuán)隊(duì)中另外17名男童,但在幾個(gè)月內(nèi)就被允許返崗,之后他又對一名男童進(jìn)行性虐。 針對這次文檔公開,美國童子軍全國負(fù)責(zé)人韋恩-佩里再次對受害者道歉。 在發(fā)表在官網(wǎng)上的聲明中,美國童子軍機(jī)構(gòu)還表示,已經(jīng)改進(jìn)了規(guī)程來確保安全,比如目前要求對負(fù)責(zé)人進(jìn)行背景考核和開展培訓(xùn)計(jì)劃。 盡管美國童子軍機(jī)構(gòu)一直試圖掩蓋這些丑聞,但它將面臨大量訴訟,也會(huì)聲名狼藉。美國童子軍目前有近400萬名成年和青年成員。 美國童子軍機(jī)構(gòu)成立于1910年,因推進(jìn)7至21歲男生的戶外運(yùn)動(dòng)和社區(qū)服務(wù)而著稱。 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Julie 編輯:陳丹妮) |
Vocabulary: pedophile: 戀童癖者 minor: 未成年人 scoutmaster: 童子軍團(tuán)長 molest: 騷擾,調(diào)戲 |