TWO teenage cousins, who told their parents that they often watched sex videos on the Internet, admitted raping a 12-year-old girl and molesting another 11-year-old girl last Friday in a barangay in Dalaguete town, southern Cebu.
The boys, aged 15 and 16, are detained at the Dalaguete police station detention cell for minors pending the decision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which is handling the case because those involved in the offense are both minors, said PO1 Julie Tristan Villahermosa, desk officer of the Dalaguete police, yesterday.
Villahermosa said they will turn over the boys to the DSWD on Monday.
According to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, a child 15 years of age or under at the commission of the offense is exempted from criminal liability while a child above 15 but below 18 years of age is also exempt from criminal liability unless he or she acted with discernment, and that child shall be subjected to appropriate proceedings.
Villahermosa said they were also waiting for the results of the medical examination of the victims, who were brought to the Pink Room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for evaluation.
According to the police investigation, the two boys were playing with a kite while the two girls, their neighbors, followed them. But when they reached a secluded area, the two boys suddenly grabbed the girls and dragged them to a grassy area, where the boys allegedly abused the girls. One of the girls escaped and sought help.
Police later picked up the boys and detained them at the station’s detention cell for minors./Correspondent Rene F. Alima