Sunday, July 11, 2004 RTC junks petition for reinvestigation of Jap's rape case
THE Regional Trial Court (RTC) denied the petition of a Japanese national for another investigation of the criminal complaint filed against him for allegedly raping an 11-year-old neighbor in his house in Bunawan, Davao City last month.
In a two-page order, Judge Salvador Ibarreta of RTC Branch 8 said Kaname Mineyaka cannot anymore be afforded such an opportunity since his defense could be better heard in a full blown court trial.
With the denial, Ibarreta set the arraignment of Mineyaka on July 19.
Earlier, Mineyaka denied the charges against him in a two-page counter-affidavit claiming the grade three student was telling a lie. The girl earlier claimed her Japanese neighbor sexually abused her around 8 a.m. of April 29, 2004.
Aided by his lawyer Leonardo Pelonio, Mineyaka said the victim's family to mulct money from him filed the non-bailable case. Mineyaka said he cannot commit such a crime since his wife is even more beautiful than the victim who is just minor.
The Japanese said he was sleeping at his house around 12 p.m. of April 29 when the victim arrived. He said the victim went inside his house and touched some of his belongings.
The respondent said despite being reprimanded, the victim continued to touch his belongings. Further, Mineyaka said when the victim left his house she even took away with her a five-peso coin.
In her earlier complaint, the girl said she was only trying to sell some kangkong leaves to the Japanese national when he suddenly dragged him inside his room and raped her that morning.
She said her neighbor also locked her inside the room until 3 p.m. that same day. The victim said she later reported the matter to her parents who accompanied her in reporting the matter to the police. BOT
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