Priest is Cleared of Rape Charge
Published in The Catholic Times
December 24, 2000
The day that Philippines President Joseph Estrada's impeachment trial began,
his executive secretary dismissed a child abuse complaint against a Columban
priest who has been fighting to protect the rights of women and children.
But the Irish priest, Fr. Shay Cullen, said he could not say of the impeachment
trial had anything to do with the decision of the president to dismiss a claim
that the priest had raped a seven-year-old girl.
In July, the Department of Justice had reversed a lower court dismissal and rules probable cause in the complaint of child rape against Fr. Cullen filed by the girl's stepfather, former US serviceman Alan Dale Edmonds.
Between January and February 1998, the alleged victim was in the care of the non-governmental People's recovery, Empowerment and Development Assistance Foundation, or PREDA, which was founded and headed by Fr. Cullen.
"I am very relieved for myself but in these cases, we are most concerned for the victims," said Fr. Cullen, who expressed hope that the girl will be taken from her stepfather and placed under the care of the Department of Social welfare and Development.
The accusation against Fr. Cullen was "bereft of any solid foundation", a government official said.
He added that the handwritten complaint of the girl and the results of her second medical examination were insufficient to establish that Fr. Cullen had raped her. The girl's stepfather filed the rape complaint against the priest on the basis of the two documents.
An October 1997 examination of the girl did not show indications of rape. She was examined after she reported to her teacher in Olongapo City that her brother, Oliver Edmonds, and their house boy, Ronaldo Payumo, touched her in an inappropriate way.
She was brought to PREDA and in February 1998 was transferred to s Department of Social Welfare and development centre in Olongapo where she said during a psychological evaluation that Payumo and her brother raped her.
This led to another medical examination that showed signs of rape.
Instead of filing a complaint against Payumo and Young edmonds, the senior Edmonds charged Fr. Cullen on April 1998 of child abuse and exploitation for allegedly sexually abusing his stepdaughter.
A lower court dismissed that complaint for insufficient evidence, and Edmonds regained custody of his stepdaughter after a month.
The following October Edmonds assisted his stepdaughter in writing a
handwritten complaint accusing Fr. Cullen of rape.
In denying the allegations, Fr. Cullen said that Edmonds pressured the girl to
issue the affidavit.
The priest claimed that Edmonds has banded together with friends to harass him
for his work against child prostitution.
Since the Department of Justice ordered Fr. Cullen's prosecution, individuals,
including Cardinal Jaime Sin of Manila, and groups worldwide have written to the
Department of Justice and the office of the President expressing support for the
priest and PREDA.
TOM FORREST