CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – An Australian national and his Filipino partner will serve life sentence after a local court sentenced them for sexually abusing female minors.
Peter Gerard Scully, 55, was sentenced to life imprisonment for six counts of qualified trafficking in persons and rape by sexual assault of two minors.
Scully, a native of Melbourne, Australia, is also facing multiple cases of child abuse, kidnapping, human trafficking, voyeurism, sexual assault, and murder.
After three years of trial, a regional trial court on Wednesday found him and his Filipino live-in partner Carme Ann Alvarez, who was also meted out with a life sentence.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development-10 (DSWD) has warned individuals who have abused or taken advantage of children as the full force of the law will be used against them.
“This government will not tolerate such evil acts against children. We will give more fight on the rest of the cases, to serve a more genuine justice for the young,” DSWD-10 regional director Nestor Ramos said in a press conference on Thursday, June 14.
But Ramos noted that “the fight is not over. This is not just about putting Peter Scully in jail, but making him regret for every count of offense he has committed to the victims, and lessons to others like Scully who are preying on children.”
The judgment of Scull and Alvarez, he said, “highlights the government’s determination to curb child trafficking and put an end to the online exploitation of children.”
“Mr. Scully’s evil and syndicated acts caused the children to live in unspeakable horror, with their childhood stripped away, and nightmares they still live with up to this day. This conviction can somehow bring them peace and continued healing and will slowly bring back the family into normalcy,” Ramos added.
Aside from the conviction, Acting Regional Prosecutor Merlyn Uy said Scully and Alvarez are also compelled to pay P5 million as fine.
Uy said Scully will still be facing 50 more cases in a court here, eight in Malaybalay City, and two in Surigao City.
The Department of Justice’s regional prosecution team has prepared a second batch of cases involving Scully and his former live-in partner Liezel Margallo and other accused persons, she said.
She said they are ready for the prosecution of the second batch of the cases but the court has asked for a recess after the promulgation of the first round of cases.
Uy said a representative from the Australian federal police was also present during the promulgation of the case “to see the conviction and court proceedings” although she did not give the identity of the observer.
She said Scully will have to serve his sentence at the city jail in Barangay Lumbia before he could be deported to his home country. (davaotoday.com)
