Murder and sexual abuse of children...

Santo Nino Cautivo. 

 Protector of the kidnapped or abducted, 

especially those children of any age 

who have been similarly caught up

 in vice, drugs, slavery, 

difficult circumstance and life problems.

Another local story of murder and child abduction has emerged with new details.

The girlfriend of a man charged with kidnapping a 5-year-old girl in Bemidji had plotted with her boyfriend to abduct the child “for the purpose of sexually assaulting her,” according to new court documents in the case. 

These details, as well as others about defendant Jacob Kinn’s child pornography collection and the couple’s sexual bondage practices, are among the contentions included in 11 search warrant affidavits filed in Beltrami District Court in connection with the kidnapping case. 

The girlfriend, 35-year-old Melissa Norby, was found dead about the time of the girl’s abduction in her fire-ravaged residence on June 22 in Hillcrest Manor mobile home park. Norby’s hands were bound over her head, and her feet were also tied together. She was taking care of the girl for a close friend. 

The court documents also disclosed forensic evidence confirming that the girl was sexually assaulted. - Finish reading here.

Just recently another 5-year-old Minnesota girl was sexually assaulted and murdered by a friend of her family.  That story here.  I couldn't post about it because the story is so disturbing.  In July a similar story emerged from Atlanta, the 5-year old was sexually assaulted but not killed - that story here.  A week or so ago, a 4-month-old was beaten to death by her father - I wrote about that here.  Just this week a gay couple ended their lives because they were involved in sexual contact with a minor. I wrote about that here.

Many people of good will are mystified by such crimes - why is it happening now?  With such frequency?  Many want to relate it to child porn and child sex trafficking.

Sad to say, I no longer can believe this is a new phenomenon.

I think it has always happened - the sexual abuse and murder of innocent children.  In Medieval times Christians blamed it on the Jews, who became a convenient scapegoat.  It was called blood libel.  Some of the child victims were venerated as martyrs.  Today all sorts of assumptions are made, relating it to Satanic-ritual, homosexual predators, drugs, and so on.  It is what it is however - totally evil.

The stories of the medieval saints are extremely controversial and widely disputed - two especially, St. William of Norwich and St. Simon of Trent were said to be tortured and murdered by Jews out of hatred for Christ - during Holy Week, no less, a time when antisemitism was especially inflamed among Christians in former ages. The feast days of these saints often falls in Passiontide, Simon commemorated on March 24, William on March 26. In 1965 the cult of Simon was officially abolished.

Of course, there are other saints and supposed victims of 'blood libel' who were said to be ritually murdered by Jews as well. Little St. Hugh of Lincoln is another, although he was murdered outside Paschal time. The stories fired the imaginations of ordinary folk as well as clergy and religious.

There is evidence these stories are based in a fanatical antisemitism and in some cases may have been used by civil authorities for monetary gain from the Jews. In the case of Hugh, the accused murderer was tortured into a confession, wherein he also implicated the entire Jewish community. Nothing in Jewish tradition ever called for any type of ritual murder of children.

In every case of so-called martyrdom by ritual killing, Jews were put to death, properties confiscated, and greater restrictions enforced against them. Sound familiar?

That being said, I think our vantage point in the 21st century may help us understand what may be a more plausible explanation as to why these so-called ritual killings gained such credibility among the general populace. In the 1980's there was widespread 'hysteria' over ritual abuse in day care facilities - these stories captured the interest of ordinary people and became a staple for daytime talk shows and kept investigators busy. If I remember correctly, most of the stories of abuse were unfounded and greatly exaggerated.

The medieval child martyrs were certainly murdered, even tortured, but why they were killed and who the perpetrators were cannot be determined. Nevertheless, in our day, as recent news stories demonstrate, we learn of child abuse cases all the time, and as we know, the sexual abuse of children is a huge problem. Therefore I doubt pedophilia and the abuse of children is simply a 20th century phenomenon. Contemporary investigations reveal how perpetrators cover their crimes with lies and dissimulation. We know well how authorities such as bishops and priests have covered for perpetrators. We also know well that human nature, society, looks for a scapegoat to account for the most horrific crimes.

Hence, it is not at all unreasonable to suggest the deaths of these medieval children and youth were probably cases of child abuse, sexual abuse and sadomasochism - even fetishism... an evil ever present to fallen human nature.

That said - perhaps we should revive the cult of the child martyrs:  St. William, St. Simon, St. Hugh,  St. Gabriel, infant martyr of Białystok, and new martyrs, Bl. Albertina Berkenbrock, Karolina Kozka, Antonia Messina, and others.  Turning to them in prayer, fostering devotion to them to safeguard children and teens.  I believe these saints would be particularly helpful to survivors of sexual abuse and rape.

Dominick Luciano:

If I was God, I wouldn't let that happen to my boy.

Jacob Wetterling Case:

A suspect in the 1989 disappearance of Jacob Wetterling has led authorities to human remains that the boy's mother says are those of her long-lost son. 

"Our hearts are broken," Patty Wetterling texted to the Star Tribune this morning. "We have no words." - Finish reading here.