Frenchman in child abuse case free on bail

The French national who was arrested by police for bringing a minor inside his hotel room stepped out of jail last Friday.

Alexander Horst Le Fur posted bail after charges of child abuse were filed against him before the Cebu City Regional Trial Court, lawyer Fillmore Gomos said.

Gomos, who represented Le Fur said a cash bail of P80,000 was given to the court for the Frenchman’s temporary liberty.

Le Fur was arrested by members of the Anti-Cybercrmime Group in Central Visayas last June 15 inside his hotel room in Cebu City.

A 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old woman were rescued in the operation.

Charges of child abuse and human trafficking were filed against Le Fur before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.

But Assistant City Prosecutor Ana Lou Cavada decided to drop the complaint for human trafficking for lack of probable cause. Only the charge for violation of Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act was filed in court.

Gomos said he has no idea of Le Fur’s whereabouts after the latter was released from prison last week.

“I no longer have contact with him,” the lawyer said.

In his counter-affidavit Le fur said there is no evidence that the minor was sexually exploited. Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 is still trying to locate the parents and relatives of the women who were rescued from a Frenchman.

Ligaya Dael, head of DSWD’s Crisis Intervention Unit, said that no immediate family members have visited the 14-year-old girl and 19-year-old woman.

“So far, the children have not displayed any unusual behavior according to the house parents,” Dael said.

Dael explained that after they locate any relatives of the children, they would check the relatives’ credibility and if they are capable of keeping the child in custody.

After that, they would check the victims’ school records before they could go back to school again.

Dael said that the victims would be given an informal education under the Alternative Learning System.