Deaf-mute minor cries rape

CEBU, Philippines - A 16-year-old deaf-mute girl was reportedly raped and impregnated last year in a mountain barangay in Cebu City by her 32-year-old neighbor who is a farmer.

Police said the victim kept the incident to herself until she could no longer hide her pregnancy from her parents. 

Last month the victim was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Pink Room for a series of tests. The test also revealed that the victim was unexpectedly due for delivery, but the seven-month-old baby died.     

The father of the victim said her daughter was raped several times inside a hut owned by the suspect who fled last week.

“I sought help from the barangay. When the barangay officials visited the suspect, he was already gone,” he said.

The Cebu City Police Office Women’s and Children’s Protection Desk in partnership with the Gualandi Volunteer Service Program Inc. (GVSPI), a non-governmental organization that assists physically impaired victims of maltreatment, visited the barangay yesterday. 

John Paul Ecarma Maunes, GVSPI Program Manager, said they had difficulty communicating with the victim who is not well-versed with sign language. Fortunately, the Cebu Association of the Deaf gave them the needed support to communicate with the victim.

“The victim’s parents do not know that their daughter was even raped. They only learned of the crime when the victim complained of stomach pains,” Maunes said. 

Janice Aparri of CAD, who assisted investigators, said the victim was coerced by the suspect to do his bidding. Aparri said the victim was raped at least five times.

PO3 Floripes Mancio, WCPD investigator, told reporters that they need to finish making the affidavit of the victim which is taking time to make.

For this year alone, around 10 physically impaired rape victims have been recorded by the GVSPI in city and province of Cebu alone. –(FREEMAN)