IT IS THE truth that is spoken quietly but with conviction and clarity by children who are victims of sexual abuse that wins justice for them in courts of law and by which they win their freedom from the domination of their abusers.
Their abusers are frequently their biological father, stepfather, live-in partner of their mother, their grandfather, brother, pastor, priest, teacher, neighbor, or online fake boyfriend.
Children are not safe in this world from those who are supposed to protect and care for them and give them a bright and happy future.
On Aug. 10, 2022, Mariel (not her real name) was brought to the Preda Foundation’s home for abused girls. She was a victim of multiple acts of sexual abuse perpetrated by her own father over several years.
Empowered by the Preda Foundation’s therapeutic programs, she recovered and filed a case against her abusive father. He went into hiding in Masinloc but was later arrested and put on trial.
Mariel was courageous, empowered by emotional release therapy, and ready to give her testimony, but her father made a plea bargain and admitted guilt.
On Oct. 27, 2025, the Regional Trial Court Branch 96 of Dinalupihan, Bataan, after a speedy trial, found Mariel’s abuser guilty of rape by sexual assault. He was sentenced to suffer the indeterminate penalty of 12 years and 1 day to 14 years of reclusion temporal and pay Mariel P60,000 in civil indemnity.
A victory for Mariel, and with Preda’s help, she is in college. She has also become a strong actress with the Preda theater group. With the seven-person group, she toured Germany and Austria for two months, advocating for children’s rights.
Pope Francis described child sexual abuse as a “scourge” and a “monstrous” evil that acts as a “manifestation of the spirit of evil.” When alive, he called for an “all-out battle” to eradicate these “abominable crimes” from both society and the Church.
In June 2025, Pope Leo XIV (Robert Francis Prevost) spoke strongly against child abuse in society and the Church. He encouraged and praised investigative journalists for their courage in exposing child abuse scandals, including clerical abuse, saying, “Your fight for justice is also the Church’s fight.”
Another brave and resilient child is 16-year-old Maria (not her real name). She was raped three times by a priest of the Diocese of Baguio who held senior administrative positions. The crimes occurred in March 2023 inside the Bishop’s House compound in Baguio City, where the victim resided as a student-scholar and was assigned tasks as a house helper.
Maria bravely testified that the priest carried a knife when he first assaulted her on March 8 and March 12, 2023, in her room at the Bishop’s Residence.
The court ruled that two of the three counts were aggravated by the use of a deadly weapon. Judge Modesto D. Bahul Jr. believed the child’s “credible and consistent” testimony, while the priest’s defense of an alibi was rejected.
For each of the three counts, Judge Bahul sentenced the priest to reclusion perpetua (20 to 40 years), totaling a maximum of 120 years.
The Philippines needs more just and fearless judges like Judge Bahul that will implement the rule of law and save children and help cleanse the Church of pedophile priests.
There are many other cases of child sexual abuse in the world and in the Church. (To be continued)/PN
