Michael Abrahams | Slackness in Jesus’ name

Mark 9:42, NIV: “If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.”

To say that Carl Robanske’s involvement with youngsters in Jamaica is scandalous, is like referring to the Titanic’s maiden voyage as ‘a little boating mishap’. To allow this man access to teenagers, some of them minors, calls into question the competence and integrity of those charged with protecting our children.

Robanske is the founder and executive director of a United States charity called Embracing Orphans. According to a story on its website, Robanske asked God where he could serve and “Jamaica was the answer”. It stated that Robanske initially “disagreed with God”, but after God answered certain challenges, he arrived in Jamaica.

Robanske and his organisation subsequently set up The Father’s House, the first transitional home in Jamaica, catering to girls age 15–21. According to their video on Vimeo, “Embracing Orphans believes in the love of Jesus, and through His love we care for the orphaned, abused, and neglected of Jamaica.”

So the narrative is that Robanske was divinely inspired to come to Jamaica and care for orphans. And orphans were indeed cared for and, unfortunately, allegedly also molested. Jamaica became Robanske’s playground, but for all the wrong reasons, as his apparent proclivity for preying on girls, including underage ones, came to the fore.

MADE AWARE

In March 2021, the Office of the Children’s Advocate (OCA) was made aware of Robanske’s alleged misdeeds following a story on Nationwide News Network. The report was on the ongoing relationship between Robanske and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), despite concerns regarding his past and his reported inappropriate contact with a female minor.

During the OCA’s investigations, it was discovered that Robanske first established his presence in Jamaica in 2007 and that by 2009 a partnership was formed with the Child Development Agency (name subsequently changed to Child Protection and Family Services Agency) under Robanske’s recurring theme of ‘Jesus. Orphans. Jamaica. That’s Us.’ In 2013, The Father’s House began to accept wards of the State that the CPFSA had selected to start transitioning out of care.

In 2018, the CPFSA reported that it found out that Robanske’s education licence in the USA was suspended in 2016 for two years, after he was found culpable of professional misconduct. The issue involved sexually inappropriate behaviour while interacting with a minor in 2014, including instant messaging her and talking about her “licking and biting” him.

Not only was Robanske’s licence suspended, but a psychologist assigned to evaluate him stated that Robanske lacked insight into the “motivations for his inappropriate behaviour” (which he admitted to) and that there was “an increased probability of that type of behaviour reoccurring”. Unsurprisingly, he concluded, “I cannot state at this time that Mr Robanske does not present a risk to his students.”

CONTINUED RELATIONSHIP

Despite knowing about Robanske’s behaviour, the CPFSA continued to have a relationship with him and his organisation, and he was still allowed contact with wards of the State. Robanske had repeated access to the residents of The Father’s House and other places of safety, including Blossom Garden’s Children’s Home, Jamaica Relief Ministries and West Haven Children’s Home. A perusal of The Father’s House visitors’ logbook for 2018 and 2019 revealed that he visited the premises 22 times, and the visits continued into 2020. Not only was he granted access to the youngsters, he was also allowed to take them away from the premises on excursions such as beach trips. So, if you allow someone with a history of sexually inappropriate behaviour and who lacks insight access to wards of the State, what do you think will happen?

Exposing his genitalia in person and online, openly masturbating, requesting a threesome, inappropriate touching, peeping Tom behaviour, inappropriate sexually laced text and instant messages, attempting to have sex, and other forms of molestation were reported by residents of The Father’s House. What makes these allegations so egregious is that Robanske’s alleged victims are susceptible on two levels. First, they are children, the most vulnerable cohort in society. Second, being wards of the State, these children and young women are further disadvantaged. Abandonment, neglect and abuse usually land them in state care where, unfortunately, they are sometimes further traumatised. They are already scarred and hurting. To take advantage of those experiencing this degree of vulnerability is horrific. And to use Jesus’ name as bait to hook them makes the situation even more disgusting.

So why didn’t the CPFSA sever ties with this man after learning of his infractions? In an interview with Nationwide News Network in 2021, CPFSA CEO Rosalee Gage-Grey said the agency continued its association with Robanske because he did not have a criminal record. The OCA was unimpressed with the reason offered to defend the continued relationship, and in their damning report, stated:

“It is extremely troubling that someone who is entrusted with the care of arguably one of the most vulnerable cohorts within Jamaican society, could so glibly defend a questionable association based on semantics which so starkly call into question her own integrity and her loyalty to the vested interest that she ought to have in the lives of wards and former wards of the State.”

In addition, the report also found inconsistencies and discrepancies in some of the CEO’s statements. For example, claims that no girls under 18 were at The Father’s House, that Robanske had no contact with the residents there, and that the CPFSA did not deal directly with Robanske (especially post-2018) were all found to be untrue.

Mrs Gage-Grey’s position has become untenable. Still, amazingly, at the time of writing this article, she remains in her post, despite the request by Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams for her to step down. As for Robanske, if Hell does exist he belongs in the worst part of it…with a millstone around his neck.

Michael Abrahams is an obstetrician and gynaecologist, social commentator and human-rights advocate. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and michabe_1999@hotmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @mikeyabrahams.