Support for Olongapo Priest
Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer
September 06, 2000
I READ that the Department of Justice has ordered the filing of a rape charge against Fr. Shay Cullen of the Preda Foundation.
I am a strong supporter of ECPAT in Germany (the international network End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) assuring his innocence.
In Germany, we have known Father Cullen for years as an honest and reliable ally in the fight against child prostitution and child abuse.
This year, he will be awarded the German Human Rights Award of the City of Weimer for his work.
I am confident that the rape charge will turn out to be unfounded as it was considered by the Commission on Human Rights, Region 3 there.
My confidence is based on the fact that various charges against Preda over the past two years, made by vested interest groups, have been dismissed as baseless and as a form harassment.
PETER OHLIGSCHILAGER,
buero@arbeltastelle-moewe.de
WE, as long-term partners of the Preda Foundation and its founder, Fr. Shay Cullen, are very concerned and disturbed about the filing of a rape charge against Father Cullen by the Department of Justice. We have been working successfully with Father Cullen and Preda for years in creating awareness about the international problem of sex tourism and child abuse. As partners, we also followed up the long list of false accusations which led to various charges in the past years. They were dismissed as baseless and they put the people who made the accusations in the proper light.
We feel that there is much more behind al these cases than bringing "justice" to the accusers. Why else is it that we in Germany are regularly "bombed" with false allegations on our home page? Why else is it possible that certain people in Olongapo City have a clear idea whom Father Cullen is visiting in Germany and for what purpose? Why else did these people threaten us for giving Father Cullen the chance to give a speech at our place? All these were not done by chance, were they? We are sure that there are enough people in the Philippines, especially in Luzon who are interested to stop Preda's and Father Cullen's important help for abused children who commit that perverse crime.
As we highly respect and support the year-long and successful work of all members of the staff of Preda, especially of their mentor Father Cullen, he has our full trust as honest , strong and restless "fighter" of many abused and neglected children in the Philippines and worldwide.
For us, there is no doubt that the charge rape against Father Cullen will be dismissed as baseless like other false accusations in the past brought on by the same people.
THE STAFF OF THE DRITTE-WELT PARTNER,
Deisanfangstrabe 31,
D-68212 Ravensburg Germany