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Manila: Child abuse charges are being prepared by the Cebu City prosecutor's office against a Catholic priest who allegedly molested seven high school students inside a gymnasium two years ago.
Reversing an earlier decision rejecting the case, city prosecutor Nicolas Sellon found probable cause to indict Fr Benedicto Ejares for violating the country's law against child abuse, a report published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer said.
In refilling the case, Sellon opted to use a stronger and more appropriate edict against Ejares. In the latest case he filed on February 28 against Ejares, Sellon said the priest could be held liable for violating the Child Abuse Act for abusing the seven girls instead of committing "acts of lasciviousness" as he had initially filed in July 2007.
The Child Abuse Act is a more encompassing law because it could extend to acts that merely disturb a child psychologically and emotionally, even without inflicting psychological injury.
According to the report, seven third year high school students from the Abellana National High School filed a case against Ejares for allegedly abusing them as they were holding a confession session at the Cebu City Sports Complex on November 14, 2006.
Denial
According to the report, Ejares allegedly pinched and tickled the complainants and played with the straps of their under garment, as the minors confessed to him one by one.
Ejares in statements he made in response to the accusations, admitted tickling the girls but he denied playing with the straps of their undergarment.
Ejares said any motion to touch the straps of the undergarments, may have been "accidental".
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