THE 13-year-old girl who claimed to have been raped by a Cebu-based lawyer-broadcaster could no longer be located by authorities.
Senior Insp. Dexter Basirgo, Parian Police Station chief, said that the victim’s family has not been responding to their calls either.
“We went to their house a day after they filed a complaint in the police station, but they were no longer in their place,” Basirgo said in Cebuano.
Basirgo explained that it was police standard operating procedure (SOP) to conduct a follow up inspection after complaints are filed before them.
Last week, a lawyer-broadcaster (name withheld by CDN, as well as the radio station he works for pending the filing of formal charges) was accused of raping a 13-year-old girl in downtown Cebu City.
The alleged abuse happened inside the lawyer’s car last July 4, but it was only reported to the police last Thursday as the girl was scared to surface earlier.
Based on the police blotter at the Parian Police Station, the girl went to the radio station to ask for some money from an anchorman.
The girl’s mother worked as the anchorman’s laundry woman.
The girl told the police that she instead talked to the lawyer-broadcaster and told him why she was there since the anchorman was not around.
On her way home, the girl asked the lawyer if he could give her money for her fare.
The girl said the lawyer told her that his money was in his car.
The lawyer brought the girl to his car and offered to bring her home.
The girl alleged that when they reached Zamora Street in Parian, the lawyer parked his car by the roadside and started kissing her then raped her.
After the abuse, the girl alleged that she was asked to disembark from the car.
Based on medical examination conducted at the pink room of Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), the girl had a laceration in her hymen.
But while the girl’s parents seemed determined to file a rape charge last week, they have since failed to show up at the police station to file a formal complaint. “Wala na mopatim-aw ang bata pati ang inahan dili na ma-contact hangtod karon,” Basirgo said.
(Until now they have not returned to the police station and we can no longer contact the mother)
Basirgo said police expected the victim and her family to execute an affidavit last Friday so that they can proceed with the filing of a criminalcomplaint for rape at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.
“Kay wala man sila mopatim-aw, mahulog nga pending ang pag-file sa case,” Basirgo said.
(Since they did not show up, this case is considered pending.)
Basirgo said that the police only have limited actions if there is no complainants.
“Kami sa police dili mi pwede modutdot. Ang amoa lang igo mi mo guide base sa complainant,” Basirgo added.
(As police, we cannot just force the issue. We are here to guide complainants.)