In Rosario, alarm given rape of minors

 

ROSARIO—Girls are advised: Do not dress seductively, as well as drink with guys whom you don’t know.

This piece of advice from local police is a response to two rape incidents involving minors in the past two months.

SP01 Jean Reyes, head of the women and children protection desk of Rosario police, said that these rape incidents can be prevented if girls will be more responsible of themselves.

“Do not wear provocative clothes, don’t go out at night, don’t drink alcohol with boys whom you didn’t know well and always let your parents know exact location.”

Last March 30, a 17-year-old girl was found dead and half-naked at a forested area in Purok 1, Brgy. Lumbangan.

Three weeks after, on April 19, two waitresses (including a 15-year-old resident of Brgy. San Ignacio) got raped by four suspects, said to be their friends.

In the March 30 incident, investigation showed that the girl was on her way home at around 4:30 pm and her father found the girl’s remains six hours after. The suspect, allegedly an ex-convict, is still at large.

On the two waitresses raped on the evening of April 19, it was found out that the suspects invited the victims to go out with them since they have been drinking with them previously.

The four suspects were detained at the Rosario municipal police station but they were later released because the case had been withdrawn, and the victims preferred to back to their home provinces Laguna and Zambales.

Reyes said that rape cases are hard to resolve because victims were usually afraid of telling the truth, given death threats alleged rapists hurl unto them.

Reyes told The Filipino Connection victims don’t know who and where to file the case against the suspects.

These rape incidents of minors are covered by Republic Act 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004) and Republic Act 9344 (Juvenile Justice Act of 2006).

Minors who were raped are usually given assistance by the municipal social welfare and development office, says social worker Rowena Kausapin, through rescue, counseling and referral to after-care institutions.

But prevention is better than cure, says 20-year-old housewife Maricris Garzon Mendoza, saying that Batangueñas “should be very careful in choosing their dress”.

Mendoza also called on her municipality’s local police to be more alert because incidents like rape “should be taken seriously”.