Columban Fr Shay Cullen, founder of *PREDA reports:
PREDA's social workers and I recently went to rescue two young boys from illegal detention and succeeded. While there in the jail, we saw two small girls in a cage, like animals. They had nothing, no change of clothes, no beds and no toilet, just a bucket, no curtain, no privacy and adult men next to them reaching through the bars, from the adjoining cell, able to touch and hold them.
They were small 13 and 14 year-old girls accused of theft and kidnapping. This is not allowed by law even, at that young age, they are not criminally liable. They had been in jail for 3 months and bad or criminal things may have happened to them. They were in danger. We immediately took action and got them out.
Your support helps us to do this important work. Almost every week, we have new children rescued and saved. Our two homes for children are full and we have to keep them fed, clothed, given therapy, education and counselling and cared for by a dedicated staff of women social workers in the girl¹s home. We also do prevention, public awareness and advocacy for children¹s rights and to end sex tourism.
We are all one in this important work. We need your support and help. We thank you for sharing this struggle with us for the abused children. We are trusting in the power of eternal goodness and that Jesus is with us and that you too are with us.
Every blessing.
Fr Shay Cullen SSC has been a missionary in the Philippines since 1969 and is the founder of the *People’s Recovery, Empowerment Development Assistance (PREDA) Foundation.
Read another article by Fr Shay Cullen, 'Children behind bars'
or
Donate and support the work of Columban Missionaries
or
Read more articles from the current E-News