Minister Balderamos-Garcia Condemns Rise in Crimes Against Minors Amid Shocking Assault Cases

Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia has weighed in on the recent increases in crimes against minors.  In the past two weeks, our newsroom has reported on five cases of rape and assault against minors.  The Minister of Human Development, Families, and Indigenous Affairs, expressed disgust against the case involving the teacher in the Toledo District who was charged yesterday with two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor student.    

Dolores Balderamos Garica, Minister of Human Development, Families and Indigenous People’s Affairs: “There is so much to do in terms of gender equality. Just yesterday we heard about the rapes of several young girls, teenagers, you know, 13, 14, 15. And so that shows us that we have so much work to do in achieving gender equality because if our young girls who do not even have the age of consent to sexual activity are being sexually assaulted and raped then there is so much work to do. So I just want to flag that and to say that our Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples Affairs, we will continue to work hard in terms of promoting that gender equality that we need.”

Reporter: It’s very disturbing. One of them happened in a school. What are your comments on that? 

Dolores Balderamos Garica, Minister of Human Development, Families and Indigenous People’s Affairs: “Now that one you would almost want to lock up the offender and throw away the key. Mind you everybody is entitled to a fair trial but really that means that we have so much work to continue doing because a 50-year-old teacher, and what makes it so much more heinous is that a teacher is in a position of trust. A teacher is in a position of trust and responsibility. And to know that a teacher is accused of raping a student, that is really, really beyond the pale. Well I think we that we have to continue to fight and struggle,  make sure that victims come forward. I think it is good that the young lady involved came forward, either with the mother or the grandmother. So these things need to be reported, and of course we have to hold perpetrators accountable.”