Be sensitive, prosecutors told

A non-government organization focused on the protection of young women against sexual exploitation and human trafficking urged the prosecutors to be “sensitive” in handling legal cases involving children so that they will not be traumatized.

Talikala-Davao executive director Jeanette Ampong said during Kapehan sa Dabaw on Tuesday at SM Annex, Ecoland, Davao City that there are lawyers who are not trained on dealing with cases involving minors, raising inappropriate questions without minding their psychological effect on the part of the victims.

One of the traumatizing parts for the victims is when they are made to recall how the incident happened. Some lawyers would also ask victims why they wore revealing clothes or stayed late at night, a case of victim-blaming.

“Bisan naay mga balaod nga naa karon sa atoa nga nagaprotekta sa mga bata, padayon nga nagataas ang ihap sa mga kaso sa bata and importante nga ang mga abogado or ang mga lawyers kahibalo dili lang sa balaod kundi katong pag-handle sa mga bata kay possible nga ang biktima diha sa process sa judicial ma-further traumatized in questioning, pagpangutana sa ilaha [Although there were a lot of laws already aimed to protect the children, cases of children continue to persist nowadays. The important thing is the lawyers should know not only the laws but also how to handle children],” Ampong said.