MOSCOW, January 3 (Sputnik) — An 8-year-old girl, who was visiting her father in a Philippine prison, was sexually assaulted and strangled by an inmate, AFP reported on Saturday.
"The incident involving the eight-year-old is nothing short of deplorable," Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told the news agency.
13 December 2014, 18:04 GMT
The girl was found lying on the toilet floor, half-naked and with a strand around her neck. Medical examination did not reveal any signs that the girl had been raped.
The incident has caused a national outcry against the existing national legal system as inmates of the Bilibid prison were previously reported to live a luxury life and were enjoying a lot of privileges, like stripper bars and jacuzzi.
Recent inquiries revealed enormous levels of corruption in the prison, with privileged inmates, such as powerful crime lords, living in luxury cells, located behind “secret panels leading to hidden rooms”. Raids also uncovered illegal drugs, guns and other prohibited items kept hidden, according to South China Morning Post.
Philippine detention facilities have long been notorious for their corruption practices, but the amount of privileges enjoyed by crime lords at Bilibid has scandalized the nation.
