MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has expanded the scope of the crime “qualified rape of a minor” and increased the minimum damages awarded to victims, in a ruling that amended the
The Supreme Court has expanded the scope of the crime “qualified rape of a minor” and increased the minimum damages awarded to victims, in a ruling that amended the guidelines on the proper legal terms in rape cases involving children.
The expanded guidelines now cover all 10 special qualifying aggravating circumstances—conditions that increase the penalty for the crime—listed under Article 266-B of the Revised Penal Code, up from the previous three factors.
They also raised the minimum damages for victims to P150,000 each—for civil indemnity, moral damages and exemplary damages—from the previous P75,000.
“This is because of the depravity of rape committed by offenders with perverse or aberrant sexual behavior against the victim who is below the statutory age or is suffering from mental retardation comparable to the intellectual capacity of a child below the statutory age,” the Supreme Court said.
The changes were contained in an en banc resolution promulgated in April but made public on Wednesday in the criminal case G.R. No. 260708.
The ruling penned by retired Associate Justice Mario Lopez denied the motion for reconsideration of a man convicted of raping his 8-year-old daughter.
A trial court initially convicted him of qualified rape based on the victim’s minority and their relationship.
