February 14-20, 2013

JUSTICE
for Noemi

LAST MARCH WITH NOEMI. The photo shows students from the Supreme Student Government of Greenville Elementary School carrying signages generally saying ‘Justice for Noemi’.

February 16, 2013 – The body of a rape victim was finally laid to rest at San Carlos Public Cemetery at 11: 00 AM.  It was attended by her family, neighbors, students and teachers from Greenville Elementary School who held posters shouting justice for Noemi Amolata.
Noemi, a five grader found unconscious covered with blood in a sugarcane field with sustained lips, bruise in the neck and chest and head injuries while her genital was badly ruptured, last Tuesday.
The victim was immediately sent to the hospital, but after several hours she was declared dead by her attending physician.
STORY BEHIND
In the morning of February 12, 2013, in Greenville Bato, Mrs. Amada Amolata woke Noemi for her class. The girl rose and told her mother she had to answer her call of nature and went to the sugarcane field around six in the morning.
The little girl’s older brother Neil followed after for the same call. The brother told us while he was there; he heard a shrugging noise but did not bother to look where it came from.
Neil came home and it was almost 7 AM. Mrs. Amolata was already starting to get worried where her daughter was, since the child would be late for her class. They started looking for her in the fields.
A few minutes of searching passed and the mother found her child’s stool and slippers 2-3 meters apart, she took a few steps and saw blood markings on the earthen floor, thinking Noemi was just nearby she continued to look. And there, beneath a pile of sugarcane grass was her unconscious daughter, with shattered clothes and her body was badly damage.
She was hurried to the hospital and was able to speak a few words with regards to the identity of the suspect:
    : “Ga sanina siya ug pula” “May kinamrasan siya sa likod,” Noemi’s revelation to her panicked mother. When sent to the x-ray room Noemi vomited blood then died around 8AM.
     Noemi was born on February 11, 2002 and died on February 12, 2013, a day after celebrating her 11th birthday.
OPERATIVES ACTIONS
Operatives from the intelligence Division and from the Investigation Division immediately responded and were able to gather information about the crime. The first suspect was from So. Trozo, Brgy. Buluangan. But the man had no marks on his body and no evidence proved him  guilty of the accuse so he was released after being detained.
The next day, February 13, 2013, the operatives caught another suspect. Again, no evidence proved him guilty and the second suspect was released.
With the help of the citizens, and basing on the information from the police department, the third suspect was caught. This time, basing on Noemi’s words, the man had marks on his body.
Last February 14 2013, the case was filed at the Prosecutor’s Office. On February 15, 2013, the Medico Legal Officer from RCLO 6, Camp Debulgado, Iloilo City arrived. The autopsy of Noemi’s body took place at St. Vincent Funeral Home. According to the findings of Dr. Noel M. Martinez, the child’s cause of death was hemorrhage due to traumatic injuries, head and trunk genital laceration due to genital penetration.