Boy, 16, to face trial for ‘abuse’ of girl, 14

Suspect barged into her room, molested her, says student Accused fails to submit counter-affidavit

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy will face trial after he was charged by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office for sexually assaulting a 14-yearold neighbor.

Assistant City Prosecutor Rodulph Joseph Val Carrillo found enough evidence to indict Renante (real name withheld) for violating Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Bail was set at P180,000 for the accused, whose case was resolved after he failed to submit his counter-affidavit.

Last Feb. 23, at past 10 p.m., Renante allegedly barged into the room of Sara (real name withheld), a freshman high school student.

The accused covered her mouth with a towel then kissed her and touched her private parts.

Sara, in her sworn statement, said she was in lying in her room and was stunned to see the boy.

She said she tried to run, but Renante held her hands. She was unable to move because she was overpowered by the accused.

Renante started undressing her but stopped after he heard his cousin calling him.

He warned Sara that if the latter told her mother about the incident, he would return and abuse her again, the suspect said before leaving.

“I just cried in my room and I did not tell my mother about the incident,” she said.

She reported the incident to the police after her mother learned about it from their neighbor.

RA 7610 defines child abuse as maltreatment of a minor, which includes “psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment” and “any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being.”

The law punishes any person “who shall commit any other acts of child abuse, cruelty, or exploitation or to be responsible for other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development.”