This is the story of the rescue, recovery and empowerment of an eight-year-old child, Angelica, from Orani, Bataan. She was abandoned by her father and then cruelly physically and psychologically abused by her mother and step-father. They beat her with a bamboo stick and constantly cursed her and pinched her so hard she could hardly stop crying in pain. One day, they locked her in a room without food or water and left her there all day. Her crying alerted neighbors and she was rescued and brought to the municipal social worker. When she told what had happened to her, she was at grave risk and Angelica was brought last March 2023 to the safe protective care of the Preda Foundation home for abused and trafficked children to heal and recover.
She had severe bruises and marks from the beatings on her legs and thighs, all recorded as evidence. Angelica was glad to be in a safe and happy home. In therapy, she cried out her hurt and pain through the Emotional Release Therapy, young as she was. She grew emotionally stronger, healed and her self-confidence grew daily at Preda with fifty other child victims all recovering from sexual abuse and human trafficking.
Angelica became a strong-minded and courageous young girl and she bravely told her story to the judge in court and was believed. This past week, the Family Court in Bataan found both the mother and step-father guilty beyond reasonable doubt and they are now in jail.
Despite her trauma, Angelica has recovered and will have a life free from fear, adult tyranny and abuse, thanks to the help of Preda dedicated care workers and therapists.
In the world today, no one can be complacent, ignorant, neglectful or unaware of the extent of human trafficking and child abuse. Unicef says there are at least seven million children abused one way or another in the Philippines every year. However, that is just a wheelbarrow of dirt from the enormous mountain of abuse that is really there. Let’s face the painful truth that one in every three girls and one in every five boys are sexually abused and raped every year. The challenge for all good people is to help the child victims and speak out and act against child abuse, and child trafficking.
Many people reading could have been sexually abused and victimized as children because it happens to so many. The victims remained silent from fear and because no one would believe them. They could not ask for help. We need to persuade children that if abused, they will be believed. They can run and tell a trusted person, a relative, a teacher, or go to the police or contact Preda Foundation. That is why children can report the abuse to Preda social workers and get immediate help and protection and stay in the Preda home until they win justice, too.
Most child victims, now adults, have endured the memories of their abuse all their lives and bravely endure the pain and memories. Others succeed in repressing the memories. They might be able to share them with a trusted person and even talk to a therapist.
The hundreds of children need help and those that were healed at Preda have no fears and had the chance to fight back and convict their abusers. Many are now serving life sentences in jail and the children are free of abuse. The power of Preda healing therapies developed over 50 years of Preda service saves the lives of hundreds of child victims and gives them a new start in life.
