Victim of Sexual Abuse at Niños de Mexico Shares Powerful Statement Sent to Board of Directors.

David Javier Colocia, former Niños Houseparent facing charges for rape and abuse.

I want to thank my friend Paola Escobar for her bravery in sharing a powerful statement she submitted to the Board of Directors of Niños de Mexico at the end of April 2023, urging them to agree to an independent investigation into their handling of sexual abuse crimes within their organization.

Paola and along with several others suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a male houseparent who worked at Niños de Mexico.

I have heard Paola's story from her firsthand, but as the trial of her presumptive abuser is currently underway in the Mexican court system, we cannot share that full testimony here.

However, she did give me permission to publish the following statement shared with Niños de Mexico Board Members Bob Wideman, Robert Rodriguez, Scott Neuhart, and Pam Ralls weeks before the Board decided against pursuing an independent investigation.

Multiple people have alleged that at least three staff members at Niños, including the current Executive Director, received allegations that Paola's housedad was molesting girls or a girl in his house, but did not report that information until two years after those allegations were first made, leaving the girls in the care of their abuser.

We continue to call on the Board of Directors of Niños to do the right thing and submit to an impartial investigation into these serious allegations and crimes. 

What follows is Paola's statement:

     I just want to tell you that I am very grateful for your care for almost 10 years and for always covering my physical needs, but the only thing I ask for is justice for me and my sisters, by blood and by upbringing, since each one of you has the responsibility to protect each boy and girl inside of Niños de Mexico, and make its policies stricter in the case of hiring houseparents.

     I know that a case of rape is a very sensitive issue and that reporting has brought many consequences, which the Administrative Director* and the Executive Director could have avoided a long time ago given that they had this information and did not help us, let alone listen to us, as they were supposed to.

     I only ask that you put all this to rest with everything you have heard and that you do the right thing. 

     You don't have toys in your care; you have children and adolescents who have already gone through a lot with their families and who do not need to go to the institution to suffer further trauma.

     I hope and have a great night and may God bless you always.

*the Administrative Director in this case was David Hernandez who worked at the institution from 2013 until he was forced to resign because of his role in covering up the abuse in this case. 

Niños de Mexico Board of Directors Refuse an Independent Investigation Once More

     The last time I corresponded with the Board of Niños de Mexico was more than a month ago via email on June 12th. 

     For context, on April 28th I met with three board members to discuss the need for an independent investigation, to hear their perspectives, and to share the testimonies of some young people who had been abused in Niños care by Niños staff.

      I had reached out to the Board in early April and received a message back from the Board Vice-President Scott Neuhart inviting me to meet with a subset of the Board.

     Present at the meeting were Bob (Robert) Wideman, the President of the Board; Scott Neuhart, the Vice-President of the Board; Pam Ralls, the Board Secretary; and Robert Rodriguez, a board member who goes to Mexico each year. 

     At this meeting in the presence of all, Scott Neuhart explained that the board had already met twice with the Christian organization GRACE, an "evangelical organization specializing in awareness, education, and investigations of sexual abuse handling by religious organizations" (from GRACE's website) to discuss what a potential investigation would look like, a process which was then explained to me in detail:

1. The first step would be a document review. GRACE would review various documents such as meeting minutes, emails, social media posts, information I had sent out etc., related to the subject at hand.

2. The second step would be a questionnaire sent out to key individuals asking whether they had witnessed any abuse, etc., and if they had anything else they wanted to add and would be willing to speak to a GRACE investigator. 

3. The third step would be GRACE reaching out to specific individuals with requests for in-depth interviews based on the questionnaires. 

4. From the following step, more interviews would be generated.

5. The final step would be the compilation of all this information into a 40-65 page report, complete with GRACE's findings and further recommendations.

     This process would take about a year.

     I was very pleased with this information and felt it was exactly what we needed to finally get to the bottom of the organization's handling of the child sexual abuse claims which I had been bringing to the attention of the Board.

     The Board explained two concerns with this potential process.

     Bob explained that the Board was not "thrilled" with the idea of the investigation taking a year.

     I responded that there was no way around the fact that any investigation of substance would take time, especially one that would involve two countries and two languages.

     I was also told that they did not want to do an investigation if it did not include current kids and that they were not sure GRACE could work with the minors currently at Niños without also working with the governmental body in Mexico that legally holds their custodianship.

     However, this is not a real problem because each of the abuse cases I brought to the attention of the Board involves young people now exited from Niños. Since the abuse and the mishandling of the abuse by failure to report, both crimes, would have taken place in Niños care and by Niños staff (some of whom which are still on staff with the ministry) the Board and the ministry must take responsibility even if the young people are not currently at Niños.

     Furthermore, at this Board meeting, the Board admitted they knew that the current Executive Director had failed at least once to report an incident of sexual abuse, as was his legal responsibility under Mexican law. 

     In addition, it was made clear the Board still did not know anything about one of the most egregious cases of sexual abuse and mishandling, which is at the beginning of its legal process in Mexico. When I asked the Board about it, they looked around dumbfounded until I moved on. (This shows that the Executive Director is still not giving all the relevant information to the Board).

     At this Board meeting, statements from five young people who had been sexually abused inside of Niños were read, statements which implicated both the current Executive Director (for failing to report sexual abuse) and the current Administrative Director (for unlawful sexual contact with a minor). 

     I was told that the Board wanted to work with me and move forward together.

     I was told that the Board would want me to work with them to agree on the scope of the interview.

     I asked Bob Wideman whether an independent investigation was something the organization had decided definitively on or whether it was a proposal that could be brought back to the rest of the Board for a vote and voted down.

     Bob's answer to me was,"What I can tell you, Eric, is that we are very serious about an independent investigation." 

Then, a few weeks later, in light of this and much more information, they told me they were not doing it.

     The following is the email I was sent by the Board (to which I will respond and then share the actual email I sent back to the Board). 

1). Dear Mr. Miller, As the President of the Ninos board I want to thank you again for bringing your concerns to the board’s attention.

I wrote the Board in early April, but it was the Board who specifically invited me to hear about their move towards and independent investigation. Otherwise, the meeting never would have transpired. 

2.) We are currently working through internal and external investigations to ensure the safety of the children in our care.  This includes but is not limited to recommendations by DIFEM and JAPEM.

Here we see an example of the subtle misdirection that has come to characterize the response of the Board. 

We had an entire meeting predicated on whether the current executive director mishandled sexual abuse claims of multiple kids, resulting in continued and/or multiplied abuse, kids who were abused in Niños care, but have since graduated, and the response of the Board is about "investigations" related to the "safety of the children in our care." 

In other words, nothing about the potential crimes of their staff members or justice for the abuse victims. 

There is no independent investigation ongoing into the Executive Director's handling of sexual abuse claims. The Board is not qualified to conduct such an investigation, the Mexican government does not have such an investigation ongoing, and the Executive Director cannot investigate himself.

Does the safety of the children in the care of Niños mean having an Executive Director who may have knowingly concealed abused claims from the authorities and an Administrative Director who had unlawful sexual contact with a minor? 

And how can they know whether these things occurred unless they investigate?

2.) We know you have concerns about the leadership and direction of Ninos and I have no doubt that you believe you are doing what is best for the children. You must understand that the same passion for doing what is right is in the heart of each one of the staff and board members of Ninos.

I fundamentally do not believe or "understand" that "passion for doing what is right is in the heart of each one of the staff and Board members of Niños" on the basis of an abundance of evidence.

- Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that led the executive director to conceal a report of abuse of one of the children in his care from authorities (which the Board acknowledge happened) which resulted in the victim being left in the same vicinity as their victimizer?

-  Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that led the Board to "forgive" (in the words of board member Robert Rodriguez) the executive director for this crime, which was a crime against a child, not the Board, and thus not for the Board to "forgive," rather than hold him accountable before the law, like they would surely expect if such a thing had happened to their own child?

Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that led the executive director of the institution to fail to report several other cases of child sexual abuse (which he denies) while claiming he did not know he was a mandated reporter? 

- Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that ostensibly led the administrative director to force himself sexually on a teenager?

- Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that has led the Board to misdirect supporters, give half-information, and half-truths as I have tried to painstakingly show in various posts and videos?

- Was it a "passion for doing what is right" that led the Board to lead me to believe that they were finally going to do the right thing and pursue an independent investigation only to turn around and refuse?

Furthermore, it is not just myself that has concerns about the direction and leadership of Niños, but each of the young people who have given their testimony to the Board, many more young people I have spoken to (inside and outside the institution), churches that have dropped their support, individuals that have dropped their support, former staff, and so many others. 

The Board knows this is not about the concerns of a single individual working in isolation or they would never have given me the time of day in the first place.

3.) To that end, while being laser focused on the children currently in our care, we are acutely aware of the accusations of the peer on peer, and other abuse in the past that you have brought to our attention. We are exploring programs to give an opportunity for closure and a way forward for the young men and women no longer in our care.  At this time an independent investigation will not be part of that process.

Again, there is not a word about abuse mishandling, and of the various abuses which I brought to the attention of the Board and which several young people bravely spoke to, these are dismissed as simply "other abuse in the past." 

Imagine a staff member had killed a kid at Niños and there were questions about whether another Niños staff member knowingly concealed that crime from the authorities? 

What if there were good reasons to believe it happened several times over?

Would the Board still accept "programs to give an opportunity for closure and a way forward" for "other murders in the past" as a just response the families of the victims and to honor the dignity of those killed?

If not, why is such a response acceptable when a kid is sexually abused by a Niños staff member while in Niños care? 

The truth is it's not, whether the Board wants to publicly acknowledge it or not. What follows is my email response to the Board: 

To the Board of Niños:

For decades, leadership within Niños de Mexico has allowed its staff to prey sexually on the children they have been tasked with protecting (just yesterday two more victims bravely came forward with their stories). And when those kids grow up and leave, they are no longer the institution's problem. I am reminded of what Mordecai said to Esther:

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's house will perish." (Esther 4:14)

Even if the Board of Niños continues to fail the victims of sexual abuse within the institution, help and deliverance from God will come from one place or another. However, what becomes of the whitewashed tomb you have erected in Mexico is up to you.

When the Board is ready to come back to the table, I will be here. Until then, this advocacy work will continue. 

Victim Narrates Physical and Sexual Abuse Suffered Inside of Niños de México.

Dr. Noe Flores, c. 2000

     Today, Wendy Cervantes, who goes by their chosen name Said, is bravely coming forward to tell their story of the sexual and physical abuse they suffered for years at the children’s home Niños de Mexico, including the sexual abuse perpetrated on her by Dr. Noe Flores, the longtime medical director of Niños de Mexico, who was employed at Niños from 2001 to 2016, and who was one of the first children to come into the care of Niños in the late 1960’s. 

     Said came into the care of Niños at the age of 5 in the year 2003, leaving the institution in 2016. This is their story and these are their words, which I have translated from Spanish to English. Their story begins with the abuse they suffered before coming into the care of Niños as they believe that to be an important part of their story and context.

     I (Eric) am aware of four total victims of Dr. Noe. I (Eric) am also aware of serious questions as to whether leadership knew about allegations of inappropriate behavior by Noe towards his patients within Niños, but did not report them or take actions to dismiss him. 

     Said hopes their story will encourage and inspire other Niños victims of sexual and physical abuse to come forward:

     I would like to express the images in my head, but they would be too grotesque. But probably if someone sees them, they could understand a little bit about what it would be like to live with those images in their heads. 

     The image in my head is of an adult "taking me to the store for a sucker" while asking me if I want [his] penis. He is an old man around 50-60 years old or maybe older. He takes me to a place where there are many trees. I have a dress on. I am 3 years old, maybe [I] just turned [3]. We didn't go for the sucker, he's just raping me. [I’m f]ace to face with him and I'm screaming a lot. I'm trying to be as strong as I can, but the pain is too strong. Someone managed to hear. The police have arrived, but they’re too late. He’s done what he wanted. 

     I have an image of being inside some large cement tubes where I sometimes sleep and my mom has sex with several men. I am alone and one man after another abuses me, taking turns. At that time, even a woman touched me. I am in a very dark place. My mother already has an appointment with someone to have sex, two men. She gives me a container of cream and leaves me outside. Then, out of curiosity I peek inside, and she allows me to be sexually abused and to perform oral sex on them .

     I'm in the care of the Division of Family Services. I'm four years old and they have locked me in a room for insulting a teacher. The door is windowless. A guy calls me over. I get closer to him and he touches my vagina. He does it a lot. I fall off a bunk. I hurt my knees badly. I'm 4 years old and still in DFS custody. The adult woman rubs my vagina.

     I'm in the Bethel House. I've been there maybe a week and three guys tell me to pull up my dress. I do it. It's normal for me, I guess. Then they all three show me their penises at the same time. And I can't remember the rest. 

     Days later they cut down the palm tree.

     A guy who always spoke to me hatefully, rapes me every day he can. This time he has caught me in the laundry. I'm washing my socks that have accumulated from not going to wash every day. This day, he has me face down, feeling the cold floor, while he penetrates me from behind. I feel something running. I'm bleeding a lot. 

     I have on purple pants.

     He appears behind me when I'm going to sleep and he starts touching my behind with his penis outside his pants and he starts penetrating me. He and another guy take turns sexually assaulting me whenever they can. One sometimes masturbates in front of me so that I can observe how he ejaculates.

     I am in the computer room at Bethel's House. A different boy comes to kiss me. I remember that I am about 7-8 years old because I have lost some teeth. I remember a female tutor beating me a lot for having provoked the boys to have sex with me.

     There was a cook at the Bethel House. She has passed away, but she was a beautiful person. I can only remember her with such empathy, but she couldn't help us because it would get her in trouble. I remember once the female tutor at that time had disciplined me. I came downstairs crying a lot and the cook was in the kitchen. I think I was about 6 years old. She would see my body sometimes with bruises and she asked me, whispering, what had happened. And I remember that time she hugged me a lot and we were able to cry, but we had to let go quickly because the tutor would come downstairs. 

     I remember that in those days, I had trouble sleeping. I even woke up restless. I was very fearful. I think because of the religion that they instilled in us, I felt that the devil was always close. I was afraid to take a bath sometimes, so that when I went up to bathe on my own, I tried to just pour water on myself to not be there a long time.

     There was a girl who was the daughter of auxiliary houseparents, (we had several of them changing all the time). Well, this girl and her cousin made me and another girl touch each other and do things with a pillow, and if we did not do it, they beat us. 

     At the Niños school, in kindergarten, there was another older boy who showed me his penis under the moon-shaped wooden table.

     Honestly, for a long time I felt that I was the one who was wrong in all this, that I caused everything, because that's basically how they taught me. 

     They taught me to have such fear and terror of being disciplined.

     I was about 7-8 years old and the lid of the large salt shaker fell off and a lot of salt fell into my bowl. I tried to cover it with the broth in my vegetable soup, but it didn't work. A female tutor was watching me and she forced me to eat it. I couldn't. It was burning my stomach. And she was giving it to me spoonful by spoonful in my mouth. When I only had one spoonful left, I couldn't continue and I wanted to vomit. She told me, "Yes, pretty girl, I'll make you swallow your vomit." She gave me the last spoonful and I vomited. She put the bowl in front of me to catch it. I started crying and she made me eat a spoonful of vomit.

      Even though they have moved us from our house, one of the guys still knows that he can do to me what he wants when he wants.

      I'm at Dr. Noe's house. I'm about 5-6 years old. He puts on the movie "Another Egg and Chicken Movie." I'm standing up and he comes over and secretly touches my behind. 

     Noe has given me some injections to regulate my period and, as always, we deal with something that has to do with my abuse. That day we are in a consultation. There is a window with blinds on the left side, I am on the table and he closes it to check me and says that having a big clitoris makes you come faster. This time he has gotten very close with a clear desire and I can feel his penis.

     I needed money to buy a sweater for my girlfriend back then. I asked for a job to earn money. 

     He asks me to kiss him. 

     He penetrates me from behind (I think it was near the door at the back). 

     He gives me 400 pesos. 

     Another day he called me in to check my period. He will give me medicine and do a check on my behind. I have on a school uniform. I have on some white leggings. On the stretcher he adjusts me so that my leggings straddle his neck. He pulls down my leggings and my underwear. I'm lying down and he starts to penetrate me. I tell him to stop, but he is saying "COME" COME" until he ejaculates on me. 

He tells me that it's okay, that he's had a vasectomy. 

I have a feminine pad. He takes it and wraps it in his white glove and puts it inside his undergarment.

He always asked me, you haven't told our secret, right?

And I told him no, I haven't told anyone. 

And he told me you can tell it when I die, if you want.