Man indicted for trying to rape nun

CEBU, Philippines – A case for attempted rape was filed yesterday in court against a man who tried to rape a nun at Saint John Center in barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City.

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office indicted Kim Arthur Montinola Batal of the crime and recommended P120,000 bail for his temporary liberty.

Batal was accused by a nun, whose name is withheld by The Freeman, of sneaking into her room and tried to rape her while she was in deep slumber at dawn on April 24.

The 29-year-old nun at Saint John Center, located along V. Rama Avenue, said she was awakened at 2:00 a.m. when her hand accidentally hit a flashlight directed at her face.

She said she noticed that a man was already holding the garter of her underwear and was about to lower it, prompting her to shout for help. The accused, whom she later identified through the police rouges’ gallery, immediately escaped.

Batal, however, was arrested in a follow-up operation conducted by the members of the Guadalupe Police Station. The sister positively identified Batal as the one who entered her room and tried to rape her.

Batal tried to ask for forgiveness from the complainant when he was presented to the prosecutor’s office for inquest. The nun, however, was firm to pursue the case. — Fred P. Languido/LPM (THE FREEMAN)