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	Molesters Have No Excuse Ledger-Enquirer [Florida] October 24, 2006 http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/columnists/15832658.htm The Rev. Anthony Mercieca's remarks regarding his relationship with a teenage Mark Foley are examples of gross denial and minimization. It's all part of the life and times of a child molester. Mercieca went from denying that he ever behaved inappropriately with Foley -- the Florida congressman who resigned last month after reports of inappropriate e-mails to a former page -- to recounting some inappropriate events, such as taking the teen into a sauna and going skinny dipping with him. All this, yet in typical offender style, Mercieca bounces between spectacular lapses of memory and amazing recall. For example, we have to wonder how other incidents appear so difficult for him to recall in detail, when Mercieca can recall the time he took lots of pills and drank alcohol until he can't remember anything that happened after that. Very convenient. There is no defense for adults who sexually molest children. None. Mercieca made one of the most loathsome statements ever. Essentially, he said back then Foley enjoyed it, so why is it such a big deal now? We have to believe there is a special place in hell for people who do vile, unspeakable things to children, never looking back with remorse. Mercieca wondered why Foley -- if he didn't like what took place -- waited 40 years to speak out. Mercieca, 72, also said Foley was the only youth he victimized during his years as a parish priest. If we believe the research, we won't believe Mercieca. According to researchers, molesters like him do a lot of damage. Pedophiles -- most of whom, according to police records, are men -- position themselves in jobs that give them access to children. Teachers, coaches and clerics are among those jobs. The children these people victimize know them and, most often, trust them. The data are all over the chart, depending on who's presenting it: Some researchers report that 97 percent of all pedophiles are heterosexual. According to others, between one-third and one-fifth of all child molestations are perpetrated by homosexuals. Many pedophiles believe themselves to be sexually inadequate, so they elect to have sex with children rather than adults. Children are inexperienced and will not be judgmental. Though these may be same-sex incidents, the men may not be gay. Sexual disorder expert Gene Abel found that pedophiles who target children not related to them commit the greatest number of crimes: an average of 281 acts and an average of 150 partners. For every child who reports molestation, it's estimated 10 others keep silent. Shame, fear, embarrassment or love keeps them from reporting the abuse. Foley's folks can continue to deny that exposing Mercieca is an attempt to help explain Foley and his text messaging mess, but I'm not sure very many people are buying. At any rate, no matter what was done to Foley, it doesn't excuse anything he might have allegedly said or done to pages over the years.
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