THE Dumanjug Police Station has launched an investigation into a radio interview of a four-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually abused by her own uncle last March 8, 2024.
Police Captain Jan Ace Elcid, the chief of Dumanjug Police Station (DPS), stated that they were unaware that the victim's mother had contacted the media to inquire about what needed to be done and only knew it last Sunday, March 10.
The child's mother took her to the police station the next day, March 11, with her aunt and teacher, so they could file an affidavit.
The victim was interviewed at the Women and Children's Protection Desk of DPS before being transferred to the Pink Room of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) in Cebu City for a medical examination.
The escorts were cautioned not to tell anyone what occurred to the victim because it was confidential.
However, during the interview, the victim's aunt was filming a video on her cellphone, which the WCPD officers were not aware of.
The victim's brother received the footage from her after that, and he posted it on social media before it was taken down a few hours later.
On March 13, 2024, the mother and the victim were interviewed by a local FM station, which was later condemned by the general public.
Elcid claimed that because a female reporter went straight to the victim’s residence, the interview was done without the consent of the social workers and the police.
After that interview, the mother brought her daughter to the police station to give the results of the medical exam for the formal filing of a case against the suspect.
The mother was told by the police that what she did was strictly prohibited.
The Dumanjug Police Station will forward its recommendation to the PNP main headquarters in Camp Crame for the possible filing of charges against the violators.
Elcid clarified that their head office will decide which complaint to bring against the victim's parents and the FM station that conducted the interview.
According to Elcid, it is against the law to interview a rape victim, particularly if they are minors, as this will only traumatize them. (AYB, TPT)