Incest ranks high among cases of child abuse among residents of the DSWD’s Home for Girls at Pawing, Palo, Leyte.

As of November,  this year,  there are 22 of said cases;  rape, 13;  acts of lasciviousness, 1;  maltreatment,  1;  child trafficking, 1;  and a case under the Child Witness Protection Program.  Officer-In-Charge (O.I.C.),  Alicia Bolante,  reported via phone – patched interview over the agency’s “Kasugbong ha Pagtindog” radio program at DYVL,  that such is the reason why “we have to screen visitors of children at our centers.”

She justified that “most abusers are members of the family,”  and the mother would usually persuade the child – victim (if the abuser is the father)  to withdraw the criminal case filed or about to be filed against the latter.

Further,  she said that the attending social worker thoroughly assesses what is best for the child if she is fully rehabilitated – whether to return to her family,  or to their community,  or to somewhere else.  Of course,  re-unification with the family is not possible if the child’s life is at risk.

Bolante emphasized that the state,  thru the DSWD,  has the authority to take protective custody of a child of similar cases earlier mentioned.  Once the child is at the Home for Girls,  the child is placed under a homelife atmosphere where all her needs are attended to – medical, social, spiritual, educational,  financial, among others,  the O.I.C. revealed.

The residential facility caters to seven to 17 – year-old girls coming from within the region who are victims of all forms of abuse and exploitation and neglect.#