Bringing child abusers to justice, Preda wins more convictions
June 8, 2020 · By Preda News
Bringing child abusers to justice, Preda wins more convictions
Preda News
8 June 2020
Defending children and bringing their abusers to justice is one of the most important ways to help children recover and heal from the physical, emotional psychological scars of abuse. In the Philippine justice system that is one of the most difficult tasks to achieve. However recently women judges are making a big difference they listen to the children and sum up the evidence fairly. Many children are now winning cases and finding justice and closure.
It takes persistence and determination never to give up. The system is designed it seems to delay every case so that it creates fatigue and exhaustion of the complainant so that the child will give up and not testify. She can be intimidated by a cruel and harsh face to face cross examination from the defense attorney of the abuser. There are endless delays that make the most committed children’s defenders and Preda paralegal officers want to give up. But they don’t, they fight on. There are few video conferencing equipped courtrooms to shield the children. However the coronavirus pandemic has changed that and some family court hearings are being held on line.
Last week one child being helped by Preda Foundation to bring charges against her abuser attended such an online hearing connected by the internet. It was the first at Preda. It was a disappointment the accused was acquitted. In 2018 Preda legal officers working with the prosecutors won 18 convictions and the child rapists got life sentences.In 2019, We won 20 convictions including cases against two foreign nationals.More cases were won this year but few as the Coronavirus has delayed many hearings.
Preda works with international police agencies to bring pedophiles and human traffickers to justice. In the Philippines the most active is the US Homeland Security ICE. The Australian Federal Police are also committed and active. They actively investigate and pursue their nationals suspected of child abuse or trafficking. Any US or Australian national linked to a child abuse case are of great interest to the investigators.
The sex bar operators and sex hotel are from many nations, Korea,China,United States,Australia and European countries. The Chinese and Korean human traffickers are trafficking their own nationals to the Philippines where it is easier to sexually exploit them without much police interference as sex tourism and sex bars are given licenses to operate by local government making them legitimate.The fact that they enslave youth, women and children is of little concern to the authorities. However if anyone, a tourist for example, is reported to the authorities they will be investigated by the special national police agencies.
The endless delays by the lawyers for the defense, the judge that allows it and the prosecutor who takes bribes create this charade of justice in many courts if the accused is well off he can bribe the parents, the court officials and even the judge. Recently, a family court judge was forced to resign because of evidence of shady deals behind the scenes.
In 2002, an uncle abused his 4 nieces but the children’s mother and aunties, the sisters of the abuser blocked the case by preventing the children from testifying. Now, two of the children are in Preda and we will again file the charges in another venue. A child allegedly abused by a policeman was persuaded by her mother to run away from the Preda Center and go home and receive rewards. Within weeks she had been forced to sign an affidavit of withdrawal of her complaint against her abuser. Preda successfully opposed this. and finally justice was done. Obstruction of justice Is one of many obstacles in the way of achieving justice for children.
Recently five young children were rescued by police and with Preda were brought to the Preda home for girls .They were abused by their step-mother and used on cyber-sex shows for foreign paying customers who watch sex abuse of children online. The children are recovering and happily playing in the protection and care of dedicated Preda professional therapists. There is hope and there is success in this fight against a heinous crime and more people have to find the courage to join this advocacy, share the information, and oppose child trafficking and abuse.
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