CEBU CITY, Philippines –A formal complaint of statutory rape will be filed on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, against a 41-year-old male tutor from Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City, who was arrested for allegedly molesting a 10-year-old female tutee.
The arrest of the suspect last Saturday, May 21, was made after the parents of the child sought the help of the police in catching the man who they accused of molesting their daughter.
The identities of the suspect and the victim are being withheld for the protection of the minor.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Maria Theresa Macatangay, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said the parents told them that they caught the suspect molesting the child after they installed a camera in the room where the tutor holds his sessions with their daughter.
She said the parents installed cameras in the room after noticing the unusual behavior of their daughter lately. The tutor has been tutoring the minor since she was still 8 years old and so the parents fear that she was being molested since that time.
“In this kind of crime, we cannot expect the victim, at that instant, in most cases that we were able to experience, will be able to talk because probably of the trauma, of the threat, and other variables. In this particular case, the parents noticed the unusual behavior of their child and so they had suspicions,” Macatangay said.
Macatangay said they have yet to check with the concerned agency if the suspect is an active teacher or a licensed teacher. Once they find out his affiliation, they will also include possible administrative cases other than the criminal cases against the suspect.
With this, Macatangay appealed to the public to never leave their children unattended with a tutor, or anyone, in a secluded or isolated area in their homes when being assisted with their academic needs.
“There are instances that parents are going to admit into their homes, tutors…As much as possible, the activities between the tutor or any adult and the child should be visible so that cases like this could be avoided in the future,” Macatangay said.
“Her parents, although they are just at home, at some point, are also working. So we can’t blame them because they are also working to be able to provide for the family, ” she added.
/bmjo
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