21 May 2003
Casa Alianza Satisfied with Dundee Ranch Search after Eight Months of
Complaints
San Jose, Costa Rica
Eight months of complaints finally gave way on Tuesday, May 20th, to
the search of the Dundee Ranch Academy by a judge, a public
prosecutor, and two agents of the Judiciary Police (OIJ). The
Academy is located in the western part of Costa Rica, in La Ceiba
de Cascajal de Orotina.
Yesterday, a group of children abandoned the center, taking
advantage of the intervention of the authorities.
The proceedings are part of an official investigation of the institution,
which began after authorities received complaints from Susan Flowers,
the mother of one of the children, regarding human rights violations.
According to the Dundee Ranch website, its personnel are dedicated
to helping children with behavioral problems.
Casa Alianza has received a series of complaints from various parents,
who feared for the physical and emotional integrity of their children,
who were held there. Casa Alianza's Legal Support Office in turn
informed the Director of the National Children's Welfare Organization
(PANI in Spanish), RosalĂa Gil, several weeks ago.
"We want to congratulate the Public Prosecutor for his courage,
because since the newspaper The Tico Times completed an investigation
about the place eight months ago, no one has done anything," stated
Bruce Harris, Regional Director of Casa Alianza, an organization that
defends children's rights.
Harris recently requested a further investigation of the case before the
Costa Rican Constitutional Court on behalf of a 14 year-old girl from the
United States, who was taken to the Dundee Ranch against her will. In
letters to her mother, the girl wrote:
"Please, whatever, take me out of here, please."
Unfortunately, the Magistrates rejected the case and asked that it be
transferred to the Family Judge. Now the Public Minister will determine
if a crime occurred behind the walls of the ranch.
"To enclose children in tiny rooms on their knees or stomachs for hours
is cruel and inhumane treatment and needs to be investigated by the
authorities," added Harris.
Representatives of the PANI and the Health Minister accompanied the
judicial personnel during the search. A day prior, members of the Office
of Migration and Foreigners completed an inspection of the ranch and
found that 100 of the 193 children did not have appropriate migration
papers.
For more information, please contact Bruce Harris at +506-253-5439
or via email at
http://www.ticotimes.net/archive/ and use search word "Dundee".
The Dundee Ranch's web site is
http://www.dundeeranch.orgor
http://www.academydundee.org/staff.htm