Mentally ill woman alleges rape by neighbor

CEBU, Philippines - A 40-year-old mentally challenged woman was alleged to have been raped by her neighbor in Barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City last Saturday night.

The suspect, a 56-year-old a tricycle driver, was arrested and is detained at the Lapu-Lapu Police stockade.

The incident last Saturday was reportedly not the first time.

The FREEMAN is withholding the name of the suspect until formal charges are filed against him.            

PO1 Chona Amoren, Women and Children Protection Desk officer of the police substation in Barangay Pusok, said it was around 7pm when the suspect saw the victim and called her to his house.

Inside, the victim said, the suspect allegedly undressed her and raped her.

The suspect’s wife was not around at that time as she was attending to her store in another barangay.

It was the victim’s 38-year-old sister who saw her coming out of the suspect’s house and to whom the victim confessed what happened.

The sister then accompanied the victim to the police sub-station to report the incident. The victim was taken to the pink room of the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for examination.

Amoren said the sister was a bit hesitant to file charges against the suspect because the suspect’s wife is her godmother. The police are awaiting the official result of the medical exam. — (FREEMAN)