BY FR. SHAY CULLEN
LAST WEEK, Maricar, now 18 years old and who was made a sex-slave by her own family since she was 12 years old, found justice when finally her rapist father and two brothers were found guilty of raping her and sentenced to a life in prison where they cannot abuse children ever again.
The judge resolved the case in more or less one year. In her decision, the judge gave credence to the testimony of Maricar. She said that the “categorical and candid testimony of the complainant suffices and a culprit may be convicted solely on the basis of her testimony”. That is a powerful message to all would-be child abusers.
When Princess heard the news that finally, her older brother was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, she smiled and said “Justice is finally served.” This is what justice for children is all about, listening to them speak the truth and believing them.
There was a time before 1992, the year when the first major child protection law, Republic Act 7610 was passed, when child sexual abuse was only whispered about, no laws protected children and few perpetrators were brought to court. When a child complained, she was silenced. Justice was nowhere to be found for victims.
Another child abused multiple times by family members is Christine. She was abused by her father, older brother and a step-father. She found refuge in the Preda home for abused children and was empowered at Preda. She filed criminal complaints against all three. Her brother and step-father have been both convicted. She is scheduled to testify against her father next week again. There, justice will be done yet again.
The police also recently arrested a father and son who took turns abusing the child Marilyn. After their arrests, family members of the suspects offered to pay a settlement but the child and her mother refused, trusting more in the courts. They want justice and will surely get it.
In Malolos, Bulacan, a judge denied last April a petition by the negligent mother of two daughters to release them to her custody. She filed the petition after the children disclosed they were sexually abused by their brother.
Last week, another child, Chiara, was referred by the local social worker to the Preda Home for Girls because family members prevented her from attending a preliminary investigation being conducted by the public prosecutor. Chiara was raped by her father for several years since she was 12 years old. She is now 14. He threatened to kill her if she reports the incidents of rape and also made her believe that her mother will be angry at her when she tells her she was raped.
Depressed, she began to hurt herself. She was crying in the school when a trusted teacher saw her and that’s when she told the teacher what was happening to her at home. Perhaps having attended a Preda seminar, the teacher knew what to do. She reported the case to the principal and they referred Chiara to the local social worker. The child was brought to the Preda home.
The Preda children win an average of 16 to 18 convictions a year. In 2022, they won 21 convictions and this year, they already have won six convictions. The Preda Emotional Release Therapy empowers the children to testify.
It is vital that duty-bearers in the community listen to children tell their stories, believe them when their parents or relatives won’t, and to get help for child-victims. More commitment by all is needed to prevent abuse and protect and help children to heal and find justice. (preda.org)
