SC: Jail term for Pa who raped own child

The Supreme Court has affirmed the decision of the lower courts convicting a man for raping his 16-year-old daughter twice in 2003.

Associate Justice Marvic Leonen found "no cogent reason" to reverse the judgment of the lower courts, finding the accusedappellant "guilty beyond reasonable doubt of two counts of rape."

"AAA's testimonies established that she was sexually abused by her father in the last week of March 2003 and on April 4, 2003. She categorically and positively identified accused-appellant as the perpetrator of the crime," the decision reads.

The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the father to protect the identity of the victim.

According to the victim, who was 16-year-old during the incident, her own father sexually abused her twice inside a makeshift room adjacent to their piggery.

She said her father also threatened to kill her if she would report the matter to anyone.

She confided to her mother her traumatic ordeal in the hands of her father on April 5, 2003, a day after the last sexual abuse.

The victim's mother immediately reported the alleged abuse to the barangay.

The accused, however, denied the accusations filed against him, claiming that the cases "were in retaliation for his strict upbringing."

In her decision, Leonen ruled in favor of the victim.

He said the prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the suspect "had sexually abused the victim against her will through force, threat, or intimidation."

Contrary to the suspect's allegation, Leonen said, the victim's story was "not fabricated."

"Children are vulnerable. Generally, they do not have the maturity to execute complex strategies impelled by evil motives. That they would do through such lengths-exposing themselves and their families to dishonor by publicly narrating how their father stripped them of their innocence-only to get even for a trivial reason is, therefore, incredulous," the decision reads.

The suspect was ordered to pay the victim P600,000 in damages for two counts of rape.—

P. Manto/KBQ

Mylen