An American missionary who once served as general manager for Thyolo-based Victory Christian Children’s Home (VCCH), Gerald Campbell, has admitted to have sexually abused eight boys at the orphanage between 1997 and 2009.
According to Sky News, 66-year-old Campbell pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a Texas Magistrate’s Court to one count of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in a foreign place.
All the victims are said to be orphans who were living at the Victory Christian Children’s Home and one boy was tested HIV positive.
Campbell, who was a member of Grace Fellowship Church in Odessa, which had ties with the children’s home, is also reported to have acknowledged that he sent money to some of the boys in an attempt to buy their silence.
The publication also says, Campbell admitted he knew what he was doing was wrong, but he thought nobody would believe the victims if they reported the abuse.
The missionary used his position as general manager to entice the boys into his accommodation and sexually abuse them.
One of the boys, who went to the centre in 1999 after losing both parents, told investigators that Campbell abused him, sometimes on a nightly basis, over eight months.
Minister of Gender, Children and Social Welfare, Jean Kalilani, said it is a sad incident.
Kalilani said the ministry expects to receive more details on the matter to ensure appropriate action.
“That’s very sad. We need as much information as possible so that we can do something for our country. We are also following up on a similar incident in the north. If you have information forward it to us so that we can deal with such people,” Kalilani said.
Eye of the Child executive director Maxwell Matewere has called on the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare and Malawi Human Rights Commission to do their own investigation of the Home.
Matewere, who described it as embarrassing for the country to wait for Americans to investigate the matter, said the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs needs to work together with the American justice system to ensure that the victims are properly compensated.
“We are pretty sure that there may be a lot of children who are undergoing similar situation. There have been allegations of various abuses in some of these orphanages and we need to do more inspections to ensure that children are protected from such abuses,” Matewere said.
US Homeland Security agents began investigating Campbell in June 2014 after receiving a tip-off.
Charles Trombley Ministries opened the first orphanage in Chuta Village in Luchenza, Thyolo in response to Malawian pastors’ letters of so many orphans who needed care but locals could not manage.
In 1993, the ministry signed a 99-year lease with Malawi government for 82 acres in the district where VCCH is standing.
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