Saturday, July 26, 2008 2 high school teachers charged with child abuse
AFTER months of investigation, a girl’s accusation of child abuse against her two high school teachers was elevated to a criminal charge yesterday.
Fifteen-year-old Cristina (real name withheld because she is a minor) accused two of her teachers at University of San Carlos-South Campus (USC-SC) of causing her psychological harm when the two accused her of cheating in her periodical exams last year.
Through her mother Susana (real name withheld to protect the victim’s identity), she filed the criminal charge against her Chemistry and Christian Living teacher and the year level coordinator (YLC).
Cristina said that on Oct. 25 last year, when she was taking her Christian Living exam, her teacher permitted her to go to the restroom.
Cristina said that while walking to the restroom, she thought of additional answers. She then added these and passed her test paper.
Afterward, she checked her photocopied notes to see if she had answered well. “Quite happy” with her performance, Cristina folded her notes, placed them in her pocket and talked with her friends. Her teacher then called her, asked her to show what was in her pocket and accused her of cheating.
Cristina then wrote a letter admitting she cheated. She claimed that she only did so was because her teacher threatened to accuse her of lying.
Cristina and the YLC finally got to talk on Nov. 7. She alleged that the YLC interrogated her in the school’s old faculty room, locking the door. The room reportedly had closed windows and dusty desks because it was abandoned.
They stayed there until 7:00 p.m., when someone knocked on the door because her parents were already looking for her.
Five days later, the YLC reportedly called Cristina out of class and left her in the old faculty room for three hours to write her explanation.
Both teachers, however, denied the allegations. They said the accusation of cheating was based on a complaint from two of Cristina’s classmates.
Cristina alleged that the incident caused her to lose interest in her studies because she felt the teachers were observing her. Susana also executed an affidavit saying that ever since the incident, Cristina often heaved deep sighs, “even in her sleep”.
They attached to their complaint a psychological evaluation done at the Cebu City Memorial Medical Center (CCMC). The evaluation cited that Cristina “displayed significant behavioral changes” attributed to “a traumatic or stressful incident”.
“Words have the capacity to traumatize a child and... affect the child’s whole being,” the evaluation read.
It stated that “if the child’s environment at school continues to be abusive, the child will continue to feel fearful and traumatized.”
Prosecutor Mario Montenegro recommended the filing of criminal charges last May 5, but the teachers asked him to reconsider.
They argued that it was “apparent that (Cristina) predicated her allegations of psychological abuse and injury.” (KAB)
