Who's to blame for sex crimes?
Extracts published in the Manila Times, January 13, 1999 and
TODAY, January 20, 1999
Nothing could be more detestable than the rape and murder of a four-year-old child by a drug crazed 16 year old as happened here in Barrio Barretto, Olongapo City the other day (TODAY 10/1/99). With nothing more to fear because he is facing the death penalty for the rape he kills her by throwing her body over a cliff and when she still cries out he goes and finishers her off. So the death penalty is the cause of more grievous crime rather than less. Imagine the terror and incredible suffering of the little child. Yet no matter how many rapists are put to death the deeper social causes will still remain. A lot more has to be done to stop heinous crimes besides a few high profile executions.
It is not the first such terrible crime in this City where the Mayor Gordon got a UNESCO prize for civil peace and order. When it comes to sex crimes against children it seems this city tops them all. There are over six hundred crimes of child sexual abuse and gang rape in the past three years and hundreds more unreported.
What government has to solve are not how many executions it will take to stop child rape but why are so many being committed by teenage boys? Last November a 13 year old boy raped a 14 year old girl, in Barrio Barretto. He was able to do so because previous to that, after he confessed to sexually molesting a 7 year old, he was never brought to justice, so he raped another child. Before that a group of teenagers in Gordon Heights, gang raped and killed a six year old, also high on dru