By Ezili Danto
OpEd News
October 14, 2009
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Help-Haiti-s-children--De-by-Ezili-Danto-091011-949.html
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| Douglas Perlitz |
On October 19, 2009 at 10 a.m., accused US pedophile, Doug Perlitz will face, in New Haven Connecticut, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joan G. Margolis and either be released on bond or held pending his trial. (See, Haiti program founder's release may hinge on higher bond, Connecticut Post, Oct. 8, 2009; Man charged with Haiti sex abuse pleads not guilty By JOHN CHRISTOFFERSEN (AP); and School Founder Arraigned In Abuse Charges, wfsb.com, Founder Of Haitian School Is Accused Of Sexually Abusing Nine Former Students.)
We urge all who are in the East Coast of the US to be in that courtroom to support the case of the children of Haiti who are being so maligned by Perlitz's many supporters. Haiti is under occupation with a weak government, some say, that is mostly concerned with pleasing foreigners, not with protecting Haitian rights and domestic development. These Haitian children have no voice, unless we stand up for them. (UN Peacekeepers and Humanitarian Aid Workers raping, molesting and abusing Haitian children).
Recently, I spoke to an audience about the raping and molesting of Haiti's children and women, and in particular about the Doug Perlitz case, where one white man stood up and said, in sum, that Haiti was such a "hellhole," its children getting sodomized is not such a sin if Doug Perlitz the pedophile was also providing them with food and schooling! This is the attitude of Doug Perlitz's supporters in the United States. Please show up in court on October 19 at 10.a.m. and stand for these Haitian children, who have no Haitian government or Haitian institutions that will support their human rights, their innocence, their childhood, their right not to be violated by sex tourists and fake charity workers and UN "peacekeepers."
This is insupportable. Lend a hand in the case of Douglas Perlitz.
You may view a copy of the federal indictment here. Here's are some relevant points in the Douglas Perlitz case:
"1. Between 2002 and 2008, more than $2 million was transferred from the Haiti Fund to an account Douglas Perlitz controlled in Haiti.
"These monies did not include other significant capital expenses and other expenses that were directly paid by the Haiti Fund for Project Pierre Toussaint," Assistant U.S. Attorney Krishna Patel said in court papers. "Perlitz had access to an enormous sum of money ... and thus far there does not appear to be an accurate accounting of what happened to these monies."
The Haiti investigation into Douglas Perlitz began in 2007. Western Union records confirm that from 2008 through 2009, "Perlitz was sending money" to individuals in Haiti formerly enrolled in his program.
2. According to the federal indictment, in order to entice and persuade the children to comply with sex acts, Douglas Perlitz provided the promise of food and shelter and provided monetary and other benefits, including but not limited to, U.S. and foreign currency, cellphones, other electronics, shoes, clothes and other items.
Perlitz is accused of grooming the orphaned and desperately hungry street children for sexual acts, exposing them to homosexual pornography and plying them with alcoholic beverages in an effort to persuade them to spend the night in his private residence. According to the indictment, Perlitz told children not to be ashamed during sex acts; other times, he told them he was "crazy."
3. If minors refused to engage in sex acts, Douglas Perlitz would at times withhold necessities, such as bed linen or threaten to expel them from the program.
4 . After allegations of almost 10-year long misconduct of sexual abuse by Perlitz surfaced in 2007, Perlitz tried to block the investigation using his relationship with a religious leader who had influence with Board Members of the Haiti Fund to continue to conceal and attempt to conceal his illegal sexual conduct, the indictment says.
5. According to court papers: "The prosecutor also charged that beginning in July 2008 and continuing until March, Perlitz traveled to the Dominican Republic to meet with some of the children and adults associated with his program, shuttered recently because of lack of funds. On the night before Perlitz's Sept. 16 arrest in Colorado, Patel said he admitted receiving 17 calls from Haiti."
6. The Haitian national police department, which began investigating Perlitz's activities in 2007, has a warrant for his arrest.
7. Also according to US court papers: During a conversation with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Douglas Perlitz denied sexually abusing any of the children. But he allegedly said "molestation would be tough" and that the small victims "should just GET OVER IT ... He said he got over his father's death and even though it was tough he moved on ..." (See also, Haiti program founder's release may hinge on higher bond, Connecticut Post, Oct. 8, 2009).
What to do:
1. Attend the Court Hearings - Contact Ezili's HLLN [erzilidanto@yahoo.com] if you or your organization wishes to put together a bus load or groups of concerned citizens to attend the Oct. 19th or any of the other New Haven, CT, court hearings for accused US pedophile, Douglas Perlitz.
2. Contact - Write or fax a letter to the presiding judge -
The Honorable Joan G. Margolis, United States Magistrate Judge
Richard C. Lee UNITED STATES COURT HOUSE
141 Church Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
Chambers Tele: (203) 773-2350 -- Fax: (203) 773-2304
Clerk's Office Tele: (203) 773-2140 -- Fax: (203) 773-2334
SAMPLE LETTER TO THE JUDGE:
The Honorable Joan G. Margolis, United States Magistrate Judge
Richard C. Lee UNITED STATES COURT HOUSE
141 Church Street
New Haven, Connecticut 06510
DATE: ____, 2009
Dear Honorable Joan G. Margolis,
I am writing to request that you do not release accused pedophile Douglas Perlitz pending trial, because of the gravity of the charges - sexually abusing nine of the children he was helping in Haiti for close to ten years. Douglas Perlitz is a danger to children everywhere and there is no guarantee this compulsion that he is accused of is limited to just Haitian children in Haiti. If Douglas Perlitz is released on bond, despite the gravity of these charges, all children in the US communities he is released into may be in imminent danger, including Haitian children living in these US communities.
Court papers disclose that during a conversation with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, Douglas Perlitz denied sexually abusing any of the children. But he allegedly admitted "molestation would be tough" and that the Haitian children who were molested "should just get over it ... He said he got over his father's death and even though it was tough he moved on ..." It would be a dereliction of duty to release Douglas Perlitz on bond based on this depraved indifference alone.
What is "tough" right now for the (local, national and international) community affected by this case, is that Douglas Perlitz's release is even being contemplated. The Court ought to clearly tell Perlitz to "get over it" and detain him pending trial because he is a danger to the community, a flight risk, and based on the indictment, he has virtually admitted to molestation. Moreover, if Douglas Perlitz is released on bond, this will cause greater fear among the victims who were abused as well as allow Perlitz more opportunity to continue his campaigns to stop the victims from testifying. Perlitz will have unlimited access via prepaid cell phones to continue to intimidate these children, most of whom are already vulnerable orphans with no parents, no shelter, little State protection in Haiti. If released Perlitz may use his mobility, access and connections to disappear the street children, put them in greater danger or otherwise prevent them from testifying. Please do not release Douglas Perlitz on bond.
Sincerely,
Your name and contact information
_________________________________
*************
cc: Ezili Danto/Marguerite Laurent, Esq.
President, Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network ("HLLN")
Phone: (203) 829-7210
P. O. Box 3573
Stamford, CT 06905
e-mail: ezilidanto@yahoo.com
http://www.ezilidanto.com
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