Monday, September 28, 2009

Day Twenty-two - Miyake Volcano

Need I mention Roman Polanski? Thirty years ago, at 44, he raped a 13 year old girl . She is now 43. I wonder where she is in her life? Can she comfortably speak with people about this? Every time he received an award it was thrown up in her face. Where are the people coming out of the wood work to protect her like they are attempting to protect him? Unbelievable!! Yes, some would say, but it was 30 years ago. Why would you continue to hold someone accountable for their behavior 30 years ago? Well come to the year 2000 - 30 years before I began my three year prison term being the target and subject of child molestation, sexual abuse, etc. At this point I still didn't realize that there were others..........

In 2000, three years after we moved to Alabama I was checking my email one morning and opened an email from an ASIJ alum requesting help. Anytime I saw anything regarding Japan or ASIJ I naturally was curious about what it said. As I began to read - I don't even remember what was in the subject line - I became agitated. That's probably not a strong enough word. The email, sent to numerous people, requested financial assistance to help Jack Moyer pay a mortgage on his Miyake Farm of  $20,000. In June of 2000, the volcano on Miyake erupted and caused everyone on the island to evacuate. I don't know if Jack's farm actually was damaged but I know he was no longer able to maintain the farm.

I really was unsure how to handle the email. My initial response was disbelief. I couldn't believe that the school would endorse or condone this kind of request. But, at this point after previous responses or lack there of, I wasn't surprised. I didn't really know who was behind the request. I didn't know the former student who made the request but was really surprised that it would land in my mailbox. Initially, I wrote her back and requested that she pull the email and discontinue any activity of solicitation from anyone. I explained to her what had happened to me and that I was very surprised by her zealous request. Her first response to me was to confirm my fears. She said basically, "I'm sorry you experienced this but too bad. Not only am I going to help him but I'm not sure I believe you." Now, I'm not quoting exactly what she said, I'm just recalling what I perceived from her email.

Because of her sardonic response, I decided it was time to blow the top off of this. At least to me it felt like that what I was doing. I proceeded to write a letter to the then administrator of the school, I believe he was the Headmaster, sharing my story and challenging the school to stop endorsing the financial request. I mailed the letter with a return receipt attached. Weeks later I received the return receipt showing that he received the letter. I didn't hear from him or anyone from the school. I started to feel those same old shameful feelings. Why are you upsetting the apple cart, Janet? Why are you causing problems for the school? What is wrong with you? Can't you see this is all your fault? But, for whatever reason, strength from God or inner strength (which still comes from God) I persevered and decided to contact the school to see if the administrator received the letter. I wrote an email to him and waited several days for his response.

As you can imagine, everyday I would open my email expecting some kind of reply. It finally came days later. The sterile response said basically, "We received your letter and the board is reviewing it." There were no additional responses and I have no idea what happened after that. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe I heard that Jack was asked to leave the school sometime in the 1990's, however, I believe he still hosted the seventh grade class trip until the volcano hit in 2000. Even after the the school was notified via the reunion committee in 1990, that a student made an accusation against him, they continued to allow their children to work with him and stay in his home. Why would a school continue to harbor a known pedophile? Are you in anyway baffled about this like I am?

After the brief email, I didn't hear anything else from the school. I assumed that they would take care of the situation and that would be the end of anything regarding Jack and the school. Well, again I expected people to do the right thing. People don't always do the right thing. My vulnerable self still believed that people would want to do the right thing. But my skeptical self, who kept the story from anyone for years, knew better.

I don't think I received any more requests for money. I spoke with several people about the ludicrous request and was satisfied that he didn't get any money, at least not that I knew of. I did find out that he had asked this former student of his to send out a request to all the email addresses she had from the Alumni list and request money from ASIJ Alumni. What a yellow bellied coward. I could see his droopy basset hound eyes pleading with this young adherent to "please, please help me. If you don't help me I'll be ruined. I have two homes to support, one on Miyake and the other in the Philippines. I don't know what to do. Will you please help me? I'll be financially devastated. After all the good work I've done. I'll lose everything." He was very good at manipulating any situation to his benefit. Exploitation. Even this young woman was being exploited and she didn't even realize it. After I got over my own anger and disbelief at her response, I was able to see that she too had been duped by this master manipulator.

One thing I did find out during this time was that he married a very young woman (possibly in her late teens or early 20's) from Singapore. Rumor has it that she was in her mid teens when they met. The Philippines are known for exploitation of children, primarily sexually exploited children.

You can find more on the Philippines in this article:

http://www.unescap.org/esid/hds/projects/csec/pubs/philippines.pdf

I'm not sure about the accuracy of the information about his new wife, however; I know she was very young compared to his now old age. I was also told that together they had two young children, one boy and one girl. What to do with this information? Should I do anything about it? How could I do anything about it with them all the way across the world? Besides, he was old. Surely by now he was tired and didn't attempt to molest little girls, right? He also had his own young girl legally in his own home. I also started hearing "rumors" about other people having experienced similar things that I had. Who were they? Would they be willing to talk to me? So, on I went, hopeful that the school was taking care of it on their end, mildly satisfied that I had done all I could.

This was 30 years later............... I was now 41 years old.

(Next post I need to tell you about the time I told my parents. I'll digress about 5 years.)

© Copyright 2009 Janet Calcote Simmons All rights reserved.

10 comments:

  1. Even though decades have passed, why shouldn't Polanski be held accountable for his actions? Being famous is not a 'get out of jail free' card. He knew what he was doing and he knew it was wrong; never mind illegal and causing lifelong damage. His 'excuse' is that he himself suffered so much in his childhood and losing his parents to the Holocost. Shame on him even more. He knew pain and yet perpetrated it on innocents. His victim is also one who says he didn't know better and he suffered just as much. Talk about a masochist. He never changed his ways and even married a very young woman. No sympathy for him or Jack. The devil knows how to charm and manipulate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't is interesting how even the woman who he raped comes to his defense. Their is a specific name for that syndrome but I don't remember what it is. She hasn't gotten mad enough yet. I haven't done much research on this subject but probably should. Thanks for the catch on that one, LASM. I'll look into it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I got an email about Mr J saying he wanted money. I thought no, you bastard. I talked to others who had been on Miyake and we all said no the the Paedophile, that is the first time I heard that label associated with him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My goodness...this is all brand-new news to me, and I graduated from ASIJ back in the eary 70's. My heart goes out to anyone, male or female who has been molested by an adult. I felt that our life in Japan was a safenest, a coccoon into which we hid from the big, bad world around us. Apparently not so for some...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Janet, you probably don't know who I am. I graduated in 1972 in Michele's class. I too took JLAP with Moyer.

    I wanted to let you know that I am in awe of your courage. If it wasn't for the light you and others shined on Moyer's dark twisted life he would undoubtedly still be at it. Tortured as he must have been, I feel so very little compassion for him. My compassion is reserved for his gentle prey.

    I hope your days ahead bring you continuing healing and peace.

    John Bush

    ReplyDelete
  6. Janet, I am so sorry for you. I found out about this abuse around the time of the ASIJ Centennial, as you told me then. As I mentioned to you, I always hated Mr. Moyer for the way he favored certain girls in our JLAP class, but I didn't know about his evil ways. In fact, I don't think I would have even been able to comprehend what he did, so naive and sheltered was I. But I did have this gut feeling about him, which goes to show that we have to learn to trust our instincts, even if our intellect tells us otherwise. Keep your head up and know that we support you.
    Sincerely,
    Stephanie Anderson '70

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you all for your support. John, I do remember you. Both from back then and also from the reunion in San Francisco. Stephanie, thanks again for bearing though this. I appreciate all the encouragement I can get.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is amazing - Whoopi Goldberg asking if Roman Polanski really "raped-raped" the 13 year old. Kudos to Rick Sanchez for setting her straight. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vmd2alHDw7Y Her reaction is the reason why it is so hard for women like yourself to come forward. It is perplexing to me that women like this can't think back to when they were the same age as the victim and consider what if it had been her in that situation. You are very brave to come forward with your story.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Janet,
    Thank you for sending me to your blog. I had no idea and I was at the reunion in Long Beach. I agree with John--my classmate--that Tokyo was a safenet and a time of great joy for me.
    That said, Moyer always made my skin crawl. There was something about him that too familiar, too much wanting to be the cool teacher, and there was a sliminess to him.
    I say this from the distance as I never had a class with him nor did I go on his trips. Now would I have gone. There is something untoward about a grown man who wanted to spend that much time with his students and not with people his own age.
    I believe you, Janet, and I look forward to the next reunion so I can give you a hug, even though this seems to be so little.
    Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  10. This is so GENUINE. The fact that it was another WOMAN, being sassy to you, made you angry and helped cause you to go more public with it. Most people don't admit to such details...instead trying to make everything seem so lofty, with super high intentions. Your diary blog is very nitty gritty and it really has the ring of truth.

    ReplyDelete