Outrageous
The Philippine Star
January 17, 1999
The outrageous rape and murder of a four year old child by a drug crazed 16 year old in Olongapo (Star 9/1/99) is not so shocking any more. It is to be expected when the death penalty is the punishment for the rape of a child under 12 years of age. The rapist is not deterred but driven to murder the victim to hide his identity.
When the victim survives, the suspect and his family and friends will stop at nothing to silence the victim, intimidate her and her family, threaten the social workers and go to extraordinary lengths to frame up someone else. This is our day to day to day experience at the Preda Children's Home that provides protective custody to victims of rape and abuse. We try to battle child abusers and their supporters on the streets and in the courtroom.
Our child care workers protecting victims are being harassed, threatened, vilified and falsely accused by the families and supporters of child sex abusers. They stop at nothing; even claiming the victim was abused by those who gave her protective custody. Who will protect the protectors?
Child rape and the sexual exploitation of women and children can only be prevented when the social and economic conditions that encourages and allows sexual promiscuity to proliferate is changed and swift justice is meted out to all offenders. The restoration of moral and spiritual values in our communities is the only force that will change this. Political will has to be driven by a commitment to protecting human dignity.
Child rape and sexual molestation of little children by teenage boys is more prevalent where the sexual exploitation of women and children is permitted by officials who issue permits and licenses to bars and clubs. Their approval of these fronts for prostitution is, in effect, condoning sexual promiscuity.
There have been several cases of child rape by teenage boys in recent years
in Olongapo. Last November a 13 year old raped a 14 year old. This same teenage
boy confessed in a sworn statement that he sexually molested a seven year old
several times in the house where he was staying, yet he was never brought to
justice for that crime. His family was able to get the same lawyer to represent
both him and the victim! Over a year ago another gang of teenagers under the
influence of drugs raped and murdered a 6 year old. There are close to six
hundred cases of child sexual abuse reported in the last three years and
hundreds more unreported to be sure. All this in Olongapo City which received
the Unesco award for peace and
order.
Unless the government confronts the social evils that drive teenagers to such terrible crimes they will continue and even the death penalty will not stop them.
Father Shay Cullen Mssc
and the staff of the Preda Children's Home
