The father of two of the four indigenous children rescued in the Amazon rainforest 40 days after the crash of their plane is accused by Colombian justice of having sexually abused his eldest daughter-in-law.
Colombian justice has charged the man with “crimes of aggravated violent carnal relations and abusive sexual acts” with a minor, according to the court decision that took place on Saturday evening in the municipality of Florencia (southwest).
“There were signs”
“He is accused of having abused his daughter-in-law” Lesly, since she was 10, said the prosecutor’s office. The accused, Manuel Ranoque, a 47-year-old Huitoto Indian, who was arrested on Friday and denies the charges, will remain in custody, he said.
Lesly, 13, cared for her younger siblings after their small plane crashed in which their mother died. Lesly (13 years old), Soleiny (9 years old), Tien Noriel (5 years old) and Cristin (1 year old) were found terribly thin, forty days after the accident, at the end of June, in the Amazon forest and were hospitalized for a month.
At the time, William Castro, governor of the family’s indigenous village, told Caracol television that “there were signs” that Manuel Ranoque had raped the eldest child.
A battle erupted between the maternal grandparents and the father of the two youngest children over who would have custody of them. According to a complaint from the grandfather, Manuel Ranoque subjected the mother, who died in the crash, to violence.