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.