Victim Rights Advocates Hope For Justice After Missouri Christian Boarding School Arrests

A statement released to the media today and news link info regarding the ongoing crisis:

Victims applaud arrests at Christian boarding school in Missouri

Statement by David G. Clohessy of St. Louis, volunteer director of Missouri SNAP

(Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)

We are gratified to see that two key staff at Lighthouse Christian Academy in Piedmont Missouri have at long last been arrested and are being held without bond. We hope the Musgraves are kept locked up for a long time.

Two charged for kidnapping in Wayne County

Missouri authorities jail owners of Christian boarding school on kidnapping charges

At the same time, we believe others who are or were at this facility have also hurt kids and must be brought to justice . . . Who also abused youngsters at Agape School in Stockton Missouri.

Arrests are not convictions. So now is not the time for complacency. Children will only be substantially safer and victims can best heal only if these and other wrongdoers are tried, found guilty and imprisoned. That means that everyone else with knowledge or suspicions of crimes and cover ups at Lighthouse Academy must summon the strength to call law enforcement.

The credit for these arrests goes to the five desperate, suffering but courageous boys who recently ran away from this facility and the several brave adults who were abused as kids at Lighthouse Academy and have reported to law enforcement. Without their gutsy actions, law enforcement could not have investigated this horror and arrested some of the perpetrators.

May their courage inspire others who saw, suffered or suspected wrongdoing of any sort at this school – or any of the dozens of similar largely invisible institutions across Missouri – to take similar steps to protect kids and expose crimes.

################

Developing . . .