History group failed to protect children from sex assaults

[pepin1948]

Found this in an area paper today:

"Suit: History group failed to protect children from sex assaults

The parents of six children who were sexually assaulted by a Lehigh County member the Society for Creative Anachronism are suing the hippie-era medieval history group, saying its safeguards against such crimes were woefully inadequate.

Benjamin Schragger, 45, was sentenced to 31-1/4 to 62-1/2 years in state prison in 2005 after pleading guilty but mentally ill in assaults on nine boys and two girls who ranged in age from 6 to 16.

The attacks happened between 1999 and 2003, mostly at the Weisenberg Township home where Schragger lived with his parents and -- in the guise of "Lord Ben the Steward" -- taught the children how to make armor and weapons for mock combat.

According to court testimony, Schragger massaged naked children and fondled a 15-year-old boy who said Schragger watched as he, his 9-year-old sister and a 13-year-old female cousin performed sex acts on each other.

Two civil suits filed yesterday in U.S. District Court on behalf of four boys and two girls claim the California-based non-profit society failed to enforce basic safeguards, such as requiring the presence of at least two unrelated adults at events involving children.

-- Reporting by Daniel Patrick Sheehan, The Morning Call"

[whinewine]

Unfortunately, the pervs still creep among us. They're very good at masking their activities-- for example, a pedefile will often marry a woman with small children to get at the objects of their real desires- the children.

Having worked for, and retired from a Commonwealth prison system, I have seen & dealt with many. They're very often not generally what one thinks of as ' dirty old men'. They are very often 'respectable community leaders', i.e., pastors, priests, boy scout leaders, church elders, state policemen, politicians and the like, who mouth pious platitudes, deflecting their venom on 'those others', all the while doing the nasty with those who are most vulnerable, those who have been taught to respect adults, those who have been taught to respect authority= children. Children will listen to, and believe, an adult in a position of authority, where a grownup would most likely say, 'wait a minute, there's something wrong with this picture!', but because a child is trusting, a child will follow blindly. :soapbox:

[Johanna]

I don't think it's fair to hold the SCA responsible for this- it's impractical for them to run background checks and ascertain the legitimacy of every visitor and participant. Besides, we are talking about people who develop alternative personas and enjoy hitting each other with swords and sticks! (SCA humor- no one get offended, please!)

Like Whinewine pointed out, it's people we "trust" that get away with molesting children, and it's statistically usually someone the child knows. It is our job, as parents, to diligently be aware of our kids' friends and activities, and to pay attention to the environments and people our children are around. Sure, even a careful parent can miss a clue, but this man assualted eleven children over four years. I can't help but wonder why someone didn't catch on, and why the children weren't taught to tell a trusted adult immediately when the sexual activity began? My seven and eight year old kids know that certain parts of their bodies are private, and that anyone interested in an area a bathing suit covers isn't anyone's business without mom and dad's okay (like at the doctor's office). It bothers me that these kids didn't tell, or, if they did, they were ignored.

Off my soapbox now.

Johanna

[whinewine]

I don't think it's fair to hold the SCA responsible for this- it's impractical for them to run background checks and ascertain the legitimacy of every visitor and participant. Besides, we are talking about people who develop alternative personas and enjoy hitting each other with swords and sticks! (SCA humor- no one get offended, please!)

Like Whinewine pointed out, it's people we "trust" that get away with molesting children, and it's statistically usually someone the child knows. It is our job, as parents, to diligently be aware of our kids' friends and activities, and to pay attention to the environments and people our children are around. Sure, even a careful parent can miss a clue, but this man assualted eleven children over four years. I can't help but wonder why someone didn't catch on, and why the children weren't taught to tell a trusted adult immediately when the sexual activity began? My seven and eight year old kids know that certain parts of their bodies are private, and that anyone interested in an area a bathing suit covers isn't anyone's business without mom and dad's okay (like at the doctor's office). It bothers me that these kids didn't tell, or, if they did, they were ignored.

Off my soapbox now.

Johanna

Johanna: I should point out that one reason so many kids don't tell is that the predator "grooms" his/her victims. "Grooming" is the process by which the predator gives the child things, often expensive things, tells him or her that he/she is the most beautiful, most special, coolest (or most whatever) person, tells the child 'secrets', treats the child as though the child is an adult, treats the child with respect, and makes the child feel like the most special individual in the entire world. Very often, children have a very low self esteem & this is what the predator feeds on. He gives the child something that may be lacking in the home, & because the kid is now 'groomed', he is more willing to trust the adult "in charge". Grooming is not a one time affair- it can take months & often years. Predation is a slow but insidious process, but the predator has all the time in the world, and if he doesn't have victims yet, he still has his fantasies as he grooms them in anticipation of conquest. Because the predator fills needs & because the child now trusts the adult & because the adult is an authority figure, these things tend to go unreported & the predator continues, victim after victim after victim, until he is finally caught. This is a very simplified explanation, btw, but grooming is a key component of this particular type of predation. (There are other types which I won't go into, like sick families that view their youngest children as more sexual partners).:ranting:

[pepin1948]

I thoroughly agree with Johanna that the SCA as a whole is not responsible - except insofar as to have save practices (i.e. two non-related adults with minors at all times).

But Whinewhine is right, and I speak from personal experience: these are often people who are viewed as respected adults, and the children don't know how to tell them "no" by the time of the actual event.

[whinewine]

I'm sorry: in my rant I did forget to add that SCA should not be held liable, just like the boy scouts/girl scouts/social service agencies should not be held liable for the actions of the pervs who manage to crawl under the radar. It is only when the organizations have knowledge of the goings on (as in the recent Catholic Church lawsuits) & instead of taking action, merely transfer the predator to another position, or parish, then valid lawsuits can & should be instituted & upheld. (& no, I'm not busting the Catholics- I was raised as a Catholic- but predators are predators, & when the bishops have full knowledge but are too gutless to act, that is just wrong!)