BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
(Continued from Nov. 4, 2022)
MARIA (not her real name) is one of many victims/survivors that brought about the conviction of their abusers. Maria testified against her biological father who raped her three times during the lockdowns.
Wilfredo was found guilty on three counts of child rape and sentenced by Judge Gemma Theresa B. Hilario-Logronio of the Olongapo Family Court to three life sentences without parole. His only defense was denial. Maria, his 12-year-old daughter under the care of the Preda Foundation, fought for justice after being healed from trauma and empowered by Emotional Release Therapy at Preda.
She was able to testify. As the Judge said in her decision, “Minor MMM’s testimony remained firm, consistent and trustworthy. She narrated her ordeal with the accused in a straightforward, spontaneous and coherent manner. She clearly narrated on how she was repeatedly raped by the accused on three occasions… ”
Maria endured strict cross examination and won her case, one of an average 15 convictions won by Preda supported children. Every act of justice brings hope and encouragement to child victims/survivors and defenders of children everywhere.
But often justice is blind-sided by corrupt police practice and fake agents from a so-called child rescue charity that several minors complained of having been sexually abused by them. The NBI officers refused to identify and arrest the fake charity agents that they collaborated with. The Philippine head of the charity refused to identify their paid agents. The child traffickers were acquitted in two separate court cases because of this. The parent rescue charity in the USA and Australia failed to respond to the child sex abuse complaints. Instead of being rescued, the minors’ destiny was to be sexually abused. Clearly, justice was obstructed with impunity and denied to their child victims.
The Philippine Court of Appeal is slow in rendering justice to victims of child sexual abuse when these cases should have top priority, as it is said, “Justice delayed is justice denied. We hope the Supreme Court will speed up the delivery of justice to child victims.
The world is watching and also concerned nations are providing information and are appealing for justice for those children abused on-line through sex shows sold to foreign customers. However, most foreign police at embassies in the Philippines are focused on anti-terrorism work and ignore child abuse by their pedophile and human trafficking nationals. Not Canada. They have assigned a senior police officer to focus on the child abuse of Filipino children by Canadians.
The church leaders should be like good Pope Francis and follow his example and constantly speak out against child abuse in society and in the Church. There is apathy, indifference and silence about the heinous crimes that are happening in families and in the Church. The sexual abuse is leaving the child victims suffering for the rest of their lives. The inaction brings shame and repudiation on the institutions they represent. Like the parents of abused children in Batanes demanding justice from the Church and the bishop, everyone should speak out and demand healing, recovery, justice, and a happier, better life for the victims of child sexual abuse. (preda.org)/PN
