Woman, 18, claims neighbor raped her

A woman was allegedly raped by her neighbor at a quarry site in barangay Tawason, Mandaue City, last week, but the incident was reported to the police by her parents only yesterday.

The 18-year-old victim and her parents reported the incident to the Mandaue police station 6 in barangay Canduman.

Police identified the suspect as Joderick Yap, 22, a native of Pines Village, barangay Linamon, Lanao del Norte, but temporarily residing in barangay Tawason.

The victim said the first incident happened on the morning of November 6, followed by another on the evening of November 11.

Policemen picked up the suspect for questioning after parents and relatives of the victim confronted him over the incident.

At the police station, Yap admitted having sex with the victim, but he denied he forced her, claiming they were lovers.

But relatives of the victim believes that the suspect forced the victim saying she suffers from schizophrenia, a common mental disease characterized by separation of the intellect from the emotions, in appropriate emotional reactions, distortions, in normal logical thought processes, withdrawal from social relationship, delusion and hallucination.

Police advised the parents of the victim to have her examined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The suspect on the other hand was released by the police pending the filing of formal charges against him and the issuance of a warrant of arrest. - Jose P. Sollano