Virgil Native Claims Sexual Abuse at Hands of Father
By Eddie Chau
Niagara This Week
December 26, 2008
http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/communities/Niagara-on-the-Lake/article/228008
former Virgil resident claims that a Mennonite conspiracy of silence had forced her to remain tight lipped about years of alleged sexual abuse at the hands of her father.
But now 56-year-old Anne Klassen is breaking her silence about the decades of sexual assaults allegedly committed by her now-deceased father, Martin Klassen, and is on a self-imposed water fast until the Mennonite church community acknowledges its role into pushing her into silence about the years of abuse, which Klassen said occurred between the ages of two until her early 20s.
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| Anne Klassen |
Klassen broke her silence at a press conference Dec. 16 at Ryerson University in Toronto. Klassen said she came out to speak against what she called the "Mennonite conspiracy."
Klassen said she wants change in the church system, which includes acknowledging, condemning and reporting all sexual assault cases within the Mennonite church community.
"I felt betrayed by my church," Klassen told the Crier via phone from an undisclosed location. "I had gone to my pastor (when the abuse took place) and he told me he was aware of it. He told me to forgive my father and family for what happened.
"When I confronted my father about it in 1991 he said he owed me nothing and didn't admit any wrong. I was really scared."
Klassen said the abuse included sexual molestation and rape.
The first recollection Klassen said she had about the abuse was at age four, but was told by her mother that it occurred at a younger age.
Klassen said some of the attacks occurred when other family members were present, including her mother and siblings.
After one instance, Klassen said her mother and father had given her a good night kiss on the cheek like nothing had happened minutes before.
"My sister had told me to keep it silent and not to take it to heart," Klassen said.
"I was taught that my father had full rights to my body. He treated me like his wife. It was traumatic and I was scared. The abuse stopped when I got married."
Klassen said the stress had caused her to lose a considerable amount of weight.
Klassen said a doctor at a sexual abuse trauma centre thought she was going to die.
"I have three children. I didn't want to give up for them. That is why I came out," she said.
"My family is very angry with me, but I've waited 17 years to speak. I will continue to fast until I see change."
Klassen had attended the old Virgil Mennonite Brethren Church on Niagara Stone Road.
The church was renamed Cornerstone Community Church in 1994.
Ed Heinrichs, lead pastor at Cornerstone, said the church does not condone such cases of sexual abuse and that it has policies in place that would provide full disclosure to police if a sexual assault was happening to a member of the church community.
"We have a safe place policy in effect," Heinrichs said. "It's sad that these allegations have surfaced in the community. It's disturbing and we don't condone it.
"It's a family issue and we would like to see resolution within the family."
Vidya Narimalla, chair of the board of faith and life at the Ontario Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, a group that represents the Mennonite Brethren Churches in the province, said he was aware of Klassen's campaign and correspondence was sent to her but hasn't been replied to.
"We acknowledge the pain she's gone through but it happened within her family," Narimalla said.
"For us to say either yes or no to what happened would serve no good. The church doesn't teach any of what she claims and we have policies that prevent this from happening."
Narimalla said the organization is not hiding from the issue and will do anything to help, but has yet to hear from Klassen.
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