EDITORIAL - Jail rape

This is a story that has been told countless times in different parts of the country. A woman apprehended for a minor offense is too poor to post bail and is locked up in jail. Her jailer takes a fancy to her and invites her to his office where she is raped. In one case in Metro Manila, even a pregnant inmate detained for estafa was not spared.

The latest case involves another woman accused of estafa, who has filed a complaint for four counts of rape and intentional abortion against the jail warden of Talavera town in Nueva Ecija, Chief Inspector Roger Maliwat. The 38-year-old woman was arrested on July 26 last year on the strength of a court warrant, and could not post bail. Her arrest, however, was reported to the court by the police only after two months. She alleged that Maliwat brought her to his office on Oct. 24 where he raped her for the first time. When she got pregnant, Maliwat allegedly forced her to have an abortion.

Maliwat is unlikely to admit a crime that could send him to death row, so he will either deny the accusations outright or claim that the sex was consensual. Whatever his defense, this case once again reminds the nation that female inmates lack protection from sexual assault. We hear of such cases only from women who are willing to face their tormentors in court. Surely there have been other victims who were too embarrassed to file a complaint.

A few years back the Philippine National Police set up so-called women’s desks, assigning policewomen to handle crimes against chastity including rape and acts of lasciviousness. Women welcomed the move, which aimed to encourage victims of such crimes to come out and file formal complaints. The plight of female inmates, however, has been overlooked. Poor inmates, as well as those too embarrassed to inform relatives of their arrest, are the most vulnerable. If no one can stay with a female inmate overnight, she can easily be taken out of the detention cell by her jailer and raped.

It may be tough to stop a determined rapist from attacking his prey, but sexual assaults can be discouraged by the presence of women jailers. The Department of the Interior and Local Go-vernment, which has jurisdiction over the PNP and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, should assign women to guard female inmates especially at night. At the same time, the government should help victims of such assaults in pursuing cases against their tormentors, making sure the women are not bullied into withdrawing their complaints. The degenerates who rape inmates must be purged and put behind bars for the rest of their life.