Manuel Ranoque, the biological father of Tien Noriel Ranoque Mucutuy (4 years old) and Cristin Neriman Ranoque Mucutuy (1 year old), was taken into custody by the Prosecutor’s Office of Caquetá on Friday following allegations of sexual abuse and domestic violence. The two older children, identified as Lesly Mucutuy, 13-years-old, and Soleiny Mucutuy, 9-years-old, were his stepdaughters.
This is a shocking development for the nation that only a few weeks ago was celebrating the miraculous rescue of the four children who were lost in the jungle of Guaviare for 40 days. The children’s mother, Magdalena Mucutuy, did not survive. During their ordeal, the 13-year-old Lesly was praised for keeping her siblings safe and for not giving into despair.
The news of Manuel Ranoque’s arrest has provoked outrage throughout the nation, especially over reports that he had previously sought a multi-million dollar compensation from the owners of the plane in which his two eldest daughters and his partner were traveling when the incident happened, claiming “consequential damages”.
The Colombian Family Welfare Institute (ICBF) has taken custody of the four children and is currently in the process of ensuring their rights. ICBF director Astrid Cáceres said Friday in a statement that the children are doing well and responding to activities to ensure they become reintegrated back to the educational system.
Their maternal grandparents, Narciso Mucutuy and María Fátima Valencia, have been outspoken in their allegations against Ranoque, saying he physically and sexually abused their daughter and grandchildren. Following Ranoque’s arrest, they have said that those seeking custody of the four children are only just emerging.
The ICBF had not allowed Ranoque to see the two older girls during the time they spent in a military hospital in Bogota, and while initially he denied the charges, he had demanded back custody of the children in July. He stated “they are my children, not the president’s children. That’s all.”
The arrest of Ranoque brings to light the reality of abuse in Colombia, which is especially damaging for the country’s vulnerable indigenous population. The ICBF has said that they are not going to expose the siblings to any further trials and that their rights will remain protected. The court will now decide the outcome of the case and the future of the four siblings.
With information from AP