BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
ANGELICA was traumatized with fear of punishment, exposure and disgrace. She was depressed and attempted to kill herself three times but hid her pain and suffering. Angelica’s teachers got a message from a friend of Angelica saying she was depressed and suicidal.
They talked with her and Angelica found the courage to finally overcome fear and threats and told her teachers how the priest had molested, raped and blackmailed her. Then, they helped her tell her parents.
They immediately contacted the National Bureau of Investigation and they planned a meeting between Angelica and the cleric and he was arrested in his car as he attempted to abuse Angelica again. He was held in detention after the inquest proceedings. He surrendered his cell phone and on it there are videos, evidence of the blackmail and sexual abuse and threats.
In addition there are sworn statements, six clips of sex videos, recorded audio calls, and screenshots of conversations whereby the accused demanded the child to go with him. These were filed with a formal complaint to the prosecutor who wisely and judicially weighed the evidence and found probable cause and sent it to the Court. The priest was released from jail when granted bail of P183,000.
The second set of alleged charges, multiple rape and sexual assault and video voyeurism – 18 in all – were made by regular filing. These charges of qualified rape and multiple counts of rape and sexual assault are the content of the powerfully detailed resolution approved by the City Prosecutor. The rape charges are non-bailable.
In his counter affidavit, the defendant denied all the charges and insisted that himself and the child were lovers. She was a happy, cheerful child and it was sex with consent. He also asked the prosecutor to disallow the video evidence. That request was denied.
The carefully crafted and detailed resolution of the prosecutor pointed out, among many other things, that the sexual acts against the will of a vulnerable child under the moral ascendancy of the priest, even if they were so-called “lovers,” which they were not, are still heinous crimes of child rape. The recorded voice message of the priest to the victim where he was repeatedly cursing her in vile abusive language shows she was in his total control.
The acts were done under threats, blackmail, and intimidation and so the prosecutor resolved that there was probable cause.
The parents contacted the Preda Foundation in writing, asking for help and assistance.
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Readers that know of an abused child may contact me at 09228768621 or shaycullen@gmail.com confidentially and share essential information such as the name of the victim, age and whereabouts. (preda.org)/PN
