Man to face trial for ‘hitting’ nephew, 9

FOR allegedly mauling his nine-year-old nephew, a 39-year-old man will face trial after he was charged by the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office in court.

Assistant City Prosecutor Maria Theresa Casiño found enough evidence to indict Manu (real name withheld) with violation of Republic Act (RA) 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Bail was set at P80,000 for the accused, whose case was resolved after he failed to file a counteraffidavit. Manu is still at large.

In the sworn statement of the victim, Benny (real name withheld) said that the accused got mad at him for allegedly failing to stop his cousin from crying last February.

Benny’s cousin cried after he reprimanded the latter for not using a glass in drinking water.

“I was approached by (my uncle) and he punched me in the face right away,” said Benny. “I cried.”

The incident was seen by Benny’s cousin and his younger sister.

Benny’s mother said in her affidavit that she saw her son lying on a sofa when she returned home from work and the boy was crying.

Her father told her that it was her older brother, Manu, who hurt her son, she confronted the accused.

Manu and Benny’s mother argued and the latter reported the incident to the police.

Minor

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.”