People of the Philippines v. Rodolfo de Jesus Y Mendoza, G.R. No. 190622 (2013)
The appellant was found guilty of statutory rape of an 11-year-old girl. He appealed, arguing that there was insufficient physical evidence of the rape. However, the Supreme Court noted that the results of the victim’s physical examination did not discount the possibility that she had been raped. The Court further noted that there are only two elements to establish statutory rape: carnal knowledge or sexual intercourse, and that the victim is under 12 years of age. Since both elements existed, the crime qualified as statutory rape, and the Supreme Court upheld the rulings of the lower courts. He was subsequently sentenced to 20-40 years in prison and the victim’s award of damages was increased to a total of PHP 130,000.00.
Topics
Geographical location
Keywords
- carnal knowledge
- child abuse
- Children's rights
- criminal law and procedure
- elements of rape
- gynecological exam
- incest
Year
- 2013
External URL
Court
Type
Jurisdiction