A KIWI national was arrested in his apartment in Minglanilla town yesterday after his former Filipina live-in partner accused him of physically abusing their then four-year-old son two years ago.
The town police, led by SPO2 Roland Camello, arrested Stuart Keith Henwood, 58, through an arrest warrant issued by Talisay Regional Trial Court Judge Glenda Go.
The live-in partner, who requested anonymity, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that she filed a criminal complaint against Henwood, who hails from New Zealand, after he allegedly hit their son’s head against a cemented wall in 2013.
Refrigerator
“Kun mokuha pod akong anak og pagkaon sa ref, iyang piiton ang kamot; iya pod ilabay-labay sa katre akong anak (If my son gets food from the refrigerator, he hurt his hand; he would also throw my son to the bed),” the complainant said.
She said she filed a criminal complaint against Henwood last June 2014. The warrant was issued only last Monday.
Asked by PO2 Vincent Aliñabo yesterday, Henwood denied the allegation.
“Niingon siya (He said), ‘oh my, God!’, di kuno niya mabuhat na kay pinangga kaayo niya iyang anak, iya pa man gani gipaeskuyla kuno og (he claimed the allegation was not true because he loves his daughter so much that he enrolled her in an) international school,” Aliñabo of Minglanilla Police Station said.
RA 7610
Henwood is accused of violating Section 10 of Republic Act 7610, or the “Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act of 1992.”
Section 10 penalizes “other acts of neglect, abuse, cruelty or exploitation and other conditions prejudicial to the child’s development.”
Aliñabon also noted that Henwood told him the case was for the foreigner’s failure to provide financial support since January.
“Ni-admit siya nga wala na siya magpadala og suporta para sa bata sukad last January kay gikuhaan man pod kuno ni siya og P130,000 sa inahan ato. Iya lang kunong gikwenta (Henwood said he did not give financial support to their daughter since January because the mother had already allegedly got P130,000 from him),” Aliñabon said.
The boy’s mother, however, denied she stole money from the Kiwi national.
She said she left Henwood last 2013 because of his abusive behavior toward their son.
“Ganahan ko mahibaw-an ni sa Bureau of Immigration iyang record ani diri (I want the Bureau of Immigration to find out what he did to my son),” the complainant said.
She said their son was brought to the pink room of the Department of Social Welfare and Development because the physical abuses she reportedly received from his Kiwi father were “very traumatic.”
Aliñabon said the New Zealander can post bail of P80,000 for his temporary freedom.