LARGO
Social workers will be sent to the towns of Catmon and Carmen in northern Cebu next Monday in response to the string of child abuse cases that occurred there.
Hedda Largo, gender and development officer of the Provincial Women’s Commission (PWC), said a 14-year-old girl was raped last Monday by a man who also victimized four underage girls and eluded arrest in Carmen town.
Two days later, a 12-year-old girl from Carcar City was also reportedly abused by two men.
These incidents occurred a month after a four-month-old baby girl from Carcar City was taken from her home and then abandoned after being molested.
Largo said these incidents showed a rising awareness and vigilance against sexual abuse cases in the countryside.
“These residents are coming out into the open, and they know where to call for help (unlike before),” she said.
Largo said the victims and their parents should not hesitate to report these cases since their identities are kept confidential.
“The parents of the victims should not be ashamed or scared to ask assistance from the PWC because we also have protocols to follow. They should not be ashamed because it’s not their fault. They are the victims,” Largo said in Cebuano.
Largo said they would coordinate with the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office since they believe these heinous crimes are committed by those under the influence of illegal drugs.
“If not totally eradicated, at least the incidence of sexual abuse will be reduced because it is not right for our youth to be victimized by those consumed by illegal drugs,” she said.