The Lord’s Gym: Where even sex traffickers are welcome to work out

[geovalin]

Erin Handley, Vandy Muong and Bora Sunjolinet

At the Lord’s Gym, forgiveness comes with a mean left hook. This small, single room lined with mirrors, mats and punching bags in Svay Pak – an area on the outskirts of Phnom Penh once teeming with child sex abuse and trafficking – is intended as a place to gather sex traffickers to work out, read the bible, and pray.

The website of Christian charity Agape International Ministries (AIM) presents a testimonial showing what this method can achieve, using the test case of Sokunthy – not his real name – who was “notorious for trafficking young girls” but attended the Lord’s Gym every day, “where he was prayed for by the staff [and] heard the truth about the evil he was perpetuating within the community”.

One day, the AIM staff discovered Sokunthy had raped two very young girls; his sisters, aged 6 and 9. Their pastor approached Sokunthy: “You know, we hate what you did. But the truth is, the gym is the Lord’s gym. And no matter what you’ve done, he’ll forgive you.”

LONG ARTICLE TO BE READ HERE http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-weekend

[dunroaming]

Re-education has it's up side but why attach it to a religion? The only way that "god" will have any relevence is if the perpetrator already believes in him/her. To try to turn a child rapist into a Christian in order to "cure" them is mind-bogglingly dumb.

A Charity should be just that and not missionaries there to convert the masses.