AFTER almost a three-year trial, a Dutch national and his Filipina live-in partner were found guilty of raping and trafficking their two stepdaughters.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 22 rendered the conviction last Thursday, April 19, to Dutch national Jouke Mulder and “Karen” (name withheld).
Authorities arrested Mulder and Karen last September 11, 2015, after months of surveillance following an Interpol Green Notice informing the Philippine authorities of the presence of a Netherlands national named Jouke Mulder who had a prior conviction for sexual abuse of minors and other criminal cases in his country.
The two were arrested at their house in Opol town, Misamis Oriental province.
Judge Richard Mordeno sentenced Mulder to an indeterminate penalty of 8 to 14 years of prison for two counts of rape and was ordered to pay the victims each with P130,000 for civil, moral, and exemplary damages.
Mulder and Karen was also sentenced to life imprisonment and fine of P2 million for being guilty for the crime of two counts of qualified trafficking in persons, and another P600,000 for moral and exemplary damages incurred by the convicts to the victims.
A court decision obtained by SunStar Cagayan de Oro stated that the 10-year-old and 15-year-old minors were coerced by the couple to perform sexual acts, such as massaging his genitals supposedly to cure his “prostate illness.”
The pedophile also forcibly touched the minors' private parts and performed similar acts of sexual exploitation, with the full knowledge and full participation of Karen who took photos of the naked minors.
Women's group Gabriela-Northern Mindanao spokesperson Amalin Baroma welcomed the conviction, saying the positive ruling "will help heal the wounds of the victims".
"We are happy that in three years time, justice has been served to the victims. We continue to condemn all violations against women and children as no woman or child deserve to be sexually harassed or raped. Mr. Mulder and his live-in partner truly deserve the lifetime imprisonment imposed on them to let them feel the pain of the victims and their families," Baroma said.
Baroma, meanwhile, is urging other abused women and children to come forward and report the violations committed against them.
"We have many laws that protect women and children, and so we shouldn't be afraid," she added.