DILI, East Timor — An American missionary who was a hero in East Timor for founding children’s shelters that have operated for more than two decades has been expelled from his Catholic congregation after admitting to sexual abuse of minors, a church official and a family member said. Media reports about the allegations have stunned East Timor, one of two predominantly Catholic countries in Asia along with the Philippines. Daschbach was born in Pennsylvania and first came to East Timor in 1966 when it was a Portuguese colony. “He admitted that the allegations against him are true,” the family member told The Associated Press. He has returned against their will.”The public defenders’ office in Oe-Kusi Ambeno said it was aware of the scandal but there was no criminal case registered against him.

Source: Washington Post February 11, 2019 12:22 UTC