Greetings all! This month, I have the privilege of having Shadow Villanueva of Darkness Against Child Abuse (or D.A.C.A.) with me as my guest. Shadow has created an organisation which deals with and educates about child abuse of every kind. He explained to me that much of the blame for abuse these days is pointed towards communities such as this one, due only to the nature of our ways and our alternative beliefs, yet we know this is not the case, but he felt it was time the rest of the world knew that too, hence, D.A.C.A. was born..It is run by those of a darker persuasion, for those who are take part in dark lifestyles and/or beliefs. This organisation is making a big difference in this community and for this community, and I hope those of you who have websites, will become supporters of D.A.C.A. to help make a bigger difference. The D.A.C.A. website can be found on http://www.magickalshadow.com/daca/daca.html

Silver: Greetings Shadow, thanks for meeting with me this eve on such short notice..

Shadow: No problem Silver.

Silver: Ok firstly, if I may ask, would you give an introduction on yourself and your organisation for those who may not yet be familiar with you and what you do..

Shadow: Ok..I am Shadow Villanueva, I was a council member of the Vampire Church for two and a half years. About three years ago I started an organization called Darkness Against Child Abuse, which is an organization for those in dark lifestyles, where they can educate themselves on child abuse. We also help with many child abuse issues, and provide information including , statistics, phone numbers to child abuse agencies, show support for child abuse laws and act as advocates for child abuse issues.

Silver: Yes, I have read your site, and I felt that it needed more than just a button to expose it to this community a bit more than perhaps it might be getting now, though I am certain with such a delicate issue as this, that you receive plenty of traffic to your site..Still, I think it's important to show it to this community because it effects us too..Ok, what made you decide to start off an organisation like this in the first place? Did you perhaps know someone who had been through a traumatic experience?

Shadow: Well, when I was a member of the Vampire Church, I had the opportunity to see how many members had children of their own...I had been active in the Pagan community for many years prior to my involvement with the VC...I have always found it difficult to deal with traditional organizations on this subject. Not many people want to hear "I am Pagan" or "I live a vampire lifestyle".

Silver: That's very true..

Shadow: Most will believe that you are an abuser just because of your beliefs, and their ignorance of those beliefs. DACA embraces people within those lifestyles, and educates them in an environment friendly to them. We have supporters in the Goth and Vampire lifestyles and with Pagan and Satanic beliefs.

Silver: Too bad there aren't more organisations along this line that fight for this community and their children..

Shadow: It is not an easy job...

Silver: No, I don't imagine it would be..You have stated on your site that "DACA openly targets the part of society other child abuse sites shy away from"..Can you explain a bit about what this means, and why you feel other sites don't or won't?

Shadow: Well, most of the child abuse organizations are either government run or owned by Christian organizations. Many mundane people automatically associate Pagans, Satanists and Vampirism as the source of child abuse...DACA embraces these people and in a way we are saying, "We are loving parents, not abusive criminals".Just because society has placed a stereotype on us does not mean we live up to that stereotype. Many people have to hide their true beliefs and their true character if they want to show support for child abuse organizations. This is not the case with DACA.

Silver: This is also true and it was high time people began seeing that. Why don't the government become more involved, and make penalties harsher towards those who abuse?

Shadow: Wow, there is a tough question..lol

Silver: Yes, but one I feel needs to be addressed..This is a serious issue, and if you have noticed, which no doubt you have, sex offense crimes against children seem to really be on the rise lately..

Shadow: Here in the US, there are actually few federal laws that deal with child abuse. It is really left up to the individual states to decide where the line is drawn on abuse. However..There is now a program where the federal government is asking for tougher laws and offers stiff penalties for whatever state does not comply.

Silver: But in the meantime, isn't the offender let back into society where he can offend again and again?

Shadow: The program ask that each state embrace an "amber alert" stly program and increased prison sentences for offenders.

Silver: We have seen in the past how long it takes to get laws passed..

Shadow: I am actually working on a way for DACA to propose an idea for a new law to Congress. It will not be easy however, but my idea works on two levels...

Silver: Right, ok..

Shadow: One aspect is a push for harsher punishment.

Silver: Do you have something rather specific in mind, there?

Shadow: The other is to ask that any drug dealer who is caught selling narcotics to children under 18 be treated as a child abuser under the law. After all, giving a kid crack is abuse in my opinion.

Silver: Well, I believe it is abuse anyway, not to mention it should be treated as a potential for murder as well..

Shadow: As for "sex crimes" against children, DACA acts upon reports of pedophillia and child pornography as well... Shadow: A few days ago, someone sent me a tip on a child porn site...That site has been removed.

Silver: Ok, but where one ends, another can be thrown up like that *snaps fingers* Isn't there some way to shut down ALL such sites?

Shadow: The problem with the internet is that it is world wide. For instance, if someone set a server up in the right country, then nothing can be done about it.

Silver: *sigh*

Shadow: That is why I support organizations such as ECPAT, which stands for: End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism.

Silver: Yes, I have seen that it is a problem in places like The Philipines, etc..

Shadow: Countries such as Indonesia and Taiwan have lax laws on child prostitution, and child sex is a huge supporter of their economy.

Silver: This is because you have men from Great Britain and the United States, taking expensive vacations to sate their disgusting habits and screw up the lives of children..

Shadow: However, ECPAT has petitioned the United Nations and other international agencies to help get laws passed.

Silver: And I have even heard that there are travel companies that set up such vacations..

Shadow: It is my hope to someday have DACA taken seriously enough and have enough support to join other organization who fight on an international level. That is really where the biggest problems are. Especially with the internet around.

Silver: Well, this is my hope, and one reason why I wished to interview you, because I thought this was an issue that needed more publicity. Ok, with the recent paedophilia issues between children and certain church clergy, why are these priests allowed to continue maintaining their position, where they can continue to offend with yet more children, and why does it seem Rome and The Vatican are supporting it?

Shadow: Well, here you have a problem with politics...

Silver: Also, are they tried like any other sex offender, or do you think they are given more leniency due to their "exalted" position?

Shadow: Let's face it, no politician wants to be seen as a "Catholic hater". So, everyone says "let the Church deal with it". Well, the church doesn't want to been seen as "wrong" so...They say "no one is molesting children after Sunday Mass".

Silver: But what about the other 6 days in the week?

Shadow: Well, as long as city, county and state prosecuters are interested in becoming politicians, I am afraid that dirty old priest will get away with it.

Silver: That's not very comforting to an old mother like me..

Shadow: It doesn't make it right, but it does show the corruption of politics.

Silver: Speaking of which....Here is one main difference between the U.S. and the U.K.

Shadow: Like I said, no politician wants to be known as "Catholic hater"..

Silver: In the U.S., if I am not mistaken, you all have the right to have access to sex offenders lists etc., whereas we over here are not allowed to know personal details like that about anyone..

Shadow: I am glad you mentioned that...

Silver: And before the summer commenced this year, a friend of mine phoned me and told me to turn my tv to BBC2, and on that program, was a man who lived directly across the street from me..The police and the BBC were at his house.. He was being arrested, and he allowed the BBC to film it..The reason being is, he was being picked up for several counts of sexual abuse with local boys. And here he has lived across from me the almost 5 years I have been in this house, and I NEVER KNEW..The ONLY thing that made me breathe a sigh of relief, is that my kids aren't allowed to play out front, or over at anyone's house..

Shadow: One thing I would like to mention is this...

Silver: Ok..

Shadow: On the DACA website, we have a list of the cities in the US that offer "sex offender data bases" and where people can go or call to access those data bases.

Silver: See, I wish we had access to the same..Had I known about this guy before, I'd have done something.. And from what he said in the interview, "there are more guys in the club who live locally"..

Shadow: In the UK, you have a few places you can go..

Silver: Really? I was not aware of that..

Shadow: There is the "Criminal Records Bureau"...

Silver: At any rate, we never have to worry about this one again, because the reason he allowed the BBC to interview him, he had already made plans to commit suicide rather than go down for his crimes..

Shadow: The website is: http://www.crb.gov.uk/

Silver: Excellent, I am sure other people over here will be glad to have that website.

Shadow: I also believe that UK Crime Stoppers offers info on sex offenders...

Silver: Ok, good deal..That's good to know..

Shadow: You can find all the links I have for this at: http://www.magickalshadow/daca/sexoffenders.html I have listings for the UK, Canada and Australia.

Silver: Ok...Why does it seem that ritual abuse tends to happen more within organised religions, rather than alternative ones?

Shadow: Well, let me first clear up a huge misconception...

Silver: ok

Shadow: The term "Ritual Abuse" actually just means "abuse that occurs the same way by the same offender multiple times". I believe that what you are asking about is "ORA and SRA", which stands for "Occult Ritual Abuse and Satanic Ritual Abuse".

Silver: Yes it is.. But I meant more that this seems to be occuring mainly in churches rather than in alternative beliefs..

Shadow: The truth on these however is that in 1994, a study was performed by several government organizations and universities...It was discovered that since the 1960's, despite all the "satanic panic" of the 1980's, only one person had ever been found guilty of "Occult Ritual Abuse".

Silver: And that was...?

Shadow: However, many people had been charged with abuse steming from "christian values". It was a guy in Washington who has confessed to abusing his children, it was actually a low profile case and it was later overturned.

Silver: I see..Isn't it funny how these organised religions can sit back, and point the finger at the rest of the world, and say how evil we are, and that we will surely burn in hell for our crimes of believing in alternate beliefs, yet they turn out to be the majority of sex abusers going..But they don't seem to see the evil they spread..Only that others have..

Shadow: Well, this is why DACA exist. I would like to open the public's eye to the fact that the finger is quickly pointed, but often in the wrong place.

Silver: Too right it is..Ok, let's take a bit of a different turn here.

Shadow: Ok.

Silver: What, in your opinion, are the main reasons for child abduction?

Shadow: Most child abductions are commited by someone who knows the child.

Silver: So, you are saying that mainly it could be an absent parent, who has maybe been denied access to their child/ren?

Shadow: Yes.

Silver: Do those cases mostly turn out where the child is returned alive, or do they most often end in a tragic way?

Shadow: No, in those types of cases, if the child is found, the child is usually in good health.Let me say something here...

Silver: Sure..

Shadow: Everyone hears the stories where a child is abducted and raped or murdered...This is because the media feels that this is "news worth watching". The media seldom makes a big deal when the story has a happy ending.

Silver: Yes that's true isn't it..?

Shadow: So people have the idea that most abductions end in a bad way. This is really not the case. Bad endings make for good money at the movies or a good TV show, but that is not real life.

Silver: They do tend to sensationalise bad news, and good news does tend to be toned down alot..

Shadow: That is the truth.

Silver: Which of these (physical, as in beatings, mental, as in verbally assaulting, or sexual) do you believe is more traumatic to a child, and why?

Shadow: Well, I would have to say sexual is. Because with sexual you have both - physical and emotional abuse. It is also the type of abuse that has the longest lasting effects, short of a child being paralyzed from physical abuse.

Silver: Do you think that this could be in the genes? In other words, if you were abused yourself as a child, would you eventually become or have a higher potential to become an abuser as an adult?

Shadow: This is a belief that is quite controversial, however I do believe that the sociological effects of abuse are devastating. My personal belief is that a child who is abused is more likely to commit a crime than one who is not, but let me explain...

Silver: Yes, they certainly are. Ok..

Shadow: Abused children make up the majority of child runaways. Abused children tend to run away at a younger age than other children.

Silver: That I know..When I lived in Hollywood, most of the people I knew were those who had run away from home for one reason or another..

Shadow: Yes and on the streets they become associated with others who have to be criminals to survive.

Silver: And they had been homeless and living on the streets for a long time..

Shadow: An abused child will also be more open to drug abuse. When they are high, they forget about the abuse..Their problems "disappear".

Silver: This is really disheartening..What can we, as parents, and as those who are part of an alternative community, do about abuse and those who abuse? How can we save our own kids and others from going through it?

Shadow: Well, the first thing is to educate yourself and your children. Be a responsible parent. Too many parents will get drunk or do drugs around their children, not knowing that the child is learning from their behavior. Also, be aware of the conditions at your childs school or daycare. Don't be afraid to "drop in" on your child during school hours.

Silver: Well Shadow, I'd like to thank you for your time and advice to us here, and I very much appreciate you meeting with me at the last minute to share this valuable information with this community..You do great work, and I feel people need to be informed on these issues, because they affect us all..

Shadow: Thank you Silver..

Silver's Final Thoughts~

Does "thou shalt not kill" apply to everyone? What about "an it harm none"? Yet child abuse is currently on the rise..The statistics alone are STAGGERING..900,000 children will have been abused this year, and 1200 of those, killed because of abuse. These statistics were provided by the U.S. Health Department..What's happening? We have become a nation of abusers. Our children are dying from this abuse. Not only that, if they survive, they have the potential to become the next generation of abusers, and start the vicious cycle all over again, to be passed down and down and down..Children are being abducted, or made to enter the sex industry to sate some twisted pervert's desires. What's happening?? Aren't children supposed to be innocent beings that we love and nurture? Yet, according to what has been said in the above interview, they are commodities in some countries. Throwaways. Garbage, to be used, abused, and thrown away like a little unwanted rag doll..

You might be saying to yourself right now "well it's not happening in *my* neighborhood", but it is. You don't always see it, but it's happening. Maybe it has even happened to you, or your child. Maybe you are an abuser. If so, PLEASE STOP IMMEDIATELY and get help before it escalates past the ability to obtain help. Children are a gift, not garbage. They look to us for love and guidance, not for beatings and worse. If you know someone who is abusing, report them for the sake of their children. If you are abusing, seek help immediately and make arrangements for your children to be in a safe place. If you are being abused, please tell someone..Don't hide it, and don't keep it to yourself, thinking it's your fault..It isn't. And no one deserves to be abused. We can all help put a stop to it by seeking out sites such as DACA, and lending support in whatever way we can..Every little bit helps..Now I leave you all with these wise words, that I believe apply to this topic -

"We must be the change we wish to see"..

- Mahatma Gandhi

If we want to see an end to abuse, we have to BE that change, and help towards the education of other people, so that change may positively come about..

Blessings to you all for a joyous Yule/Christmas, and a very happy and prosperous New Year from all of us here at The Vampire Church..

Until next time~

Dark Blessings
Silver

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