Justice and victory for child-victims
November 25, 2022 · By Fr. Shay Cullen
Justice and victory for child-victims
Fr. Shay Cullen
25 November 2022
It is well established that child sexual abuse is widespread. One in every three girls is a victim and it is a crime committed in secret with threats and intimidation and that victims rarely and seldom complain and report the crime of sexual assault. The young immature victims are frightened, intimidated by threats against them or their family and afraid they will not be believed and may be punished for making the allegations against a relative or any person in authority.
Many children do not know what to do or how to complain and report abuse to adults and many do not know that they can take legal cases against their abusers in court. They need supporting adults who know the gravity of sexual abuse, its damaging impact on the life of a person and are determined to see the child gets help and therapy and justice. More professional high quality therapy homes to heal and empower victims are needed urgently to help them get justice in the courts.
Members of the public have to act to help and save children. Extensive community education about child abuse is essential if we are to reduce the level of abuse. All duty-bearers should have greater sympathy and understanding for rebellious children such as street children many of whom are victims of sexual, physical or psychological abuse in their homes or in the neighborhood.
That’s how it was with Cherry (not her real name.) She lives in Caloocan City and she dropped out of school and wandered the streets at 13 years old. She began stealing and going with gangs, drinking and other vices. She had no mother’s love. Her mother left the family years previously but her father and grandmother cared for her. She was sent to a government center for wayward children and after five months, one day, she revealed to her grandmother that she had been raped six times by a neighbor, Bernabe Serrano y Viscera, since 2016 that lasted until 29 April 2018. With no healing shelter in Caloocan, she was brought to the Preda Foundation in Zambales to recover and heal from the abuse.
In the Preda home, Cherry became empowered with the help of many therapies including the very effective Emotional Release Therapy (ERT) where, in the therapy room, she cried and shouted out her anger and hatred for her abuser. She punched the cushions and screamed his name in anger. She released the pain and hurt and was healed. She became mature and self-confident and filed a case with the prosecutor in Caloocan and despite long delays she stood her ground and testified strongly in court.
Judge Barbara Aleli H. Briones of the Caloocan Family Court believed her and sentenced Bernabe Serrano y Viscera to four life sentences. The more child rapists are imprisoned, the more children will be safe and the message that justice will be done will deter others from abusing children. Another victory by and for Preda children.
The case of 14-year old Angie (not her real name) is shocking and instructive and can serve as a warning to would-be child sex offenders. The grandfather started sexually abusing Angie when her grandmother was out of the house. He threatened the child and repeated the sexual act many times. Angie was so frightened and scared she dared not report the rape to anyone. Angie’s father was dead and her mother was an overseas domestic worker.
On February 6, 2020 at 10PM, her grandfather sexually abused her yet again. This time, Angie was again very angry and so much so she found the courage to tell her mother by Messenger what her grandfather was doing to her. Her mother called the principal and a teacher at her school and told them to help Angie. They took Angie to the municipal social worker and the police station. They interviewed the child and referred her to the Preda Foundation home for abused children in Subic, Zambales since there was no healing and therapy center in Mariveles.
There, she found acceptance, protection and safety from the anger and retaliation of her grandfather, now deprived of his sex slave. In Preda, Angie felt accepted and understood and she had Emotional Release Therapy. In a padded therapy room, she shouted, screamed and cried, releasing all the pent up pain, hurt and anger at her grandfather for the pain he had inflicted on her for his own depraved pleasure. She was soon recovering and became strong and empowered and filed her case with the prosecutor against her grandfather. Angie was soon learning at a new school and enjoying the freedom from fear and abuse. Judge Teresa Pagtalunan-Mauleon believed the clear testimony of Angie and sentenced Lorenzo Figuracion to life in prison. The huge fines levied on him will never be paid to Angie but it is enough that she found victory and justice at last.
Another case resolved this past week after three and half years is that against a human trafficker, Allyana Ysabel Fernandez known as “Quenn.” She recruited and lured 11 minors, the youngest only 15 years of age, to the Golden Victory Hotel in Mabiga, Mabalacat, Pampanga on 4 March 2019 to sell them for sex to customers. The teenagers were shocked when several male “sex customers” came into the room and gave the trafficker a wad of money. As soon as she accepted it, she was immediately arrested and handcuffed on the spot. Some of the teenagers burst into tears when they realized that the “customers” were in fact under-cover police.
The undercover agents of the Philippine National Police Women and Children’s Protection Center (WCPC) of the Luzon Field Unit based in Camp Crame had just concluded a brilliantly successful entrapment operation. Eleven of the victims were sent to the Preda home for trafficked children since there is no therapeutic healing center in Pampanga with Emotional Release Therapy (ERT) and empowerment training for victims of trafficking. After months of therapy and empowerment, most of them recovered and agreed to testify in court. Fernandez has been found guilty of human trafficking by Judge April Joy B. Magsayo-Aguila and sentenced to life in prison, according to the court decision issued on 17 November 2022, another victory for Preda children.
The victim/survivors after their life in the Preda home for trafficked victims have all been reintegrated in their families and are living a more normal, happier life of dignity. There are 63 children at the Preda home at present healing and recovering from rape and online abuse.
