SC affirms child abuse ruling vs. teacher who made students eat trash

The Supreme Court has affirmed with modification the ruling of the Court of Appeals finding a teacher who made her students place pieces of trash in their mouths guilty of child abuse.

In a four-page notice released on January 22, the Court denied the petition of Melany Garin and sentenced her to four years, nine months, and 11 days to six years, eight months, and one day of imprisonment.

The Court also ordered her to pay the child a total of P75,000, of which P20,000 were for moral damages, 20,000 as exemplary damages, P20,000 as temperate damages, and P15,000 as fine.

It said that all damages awarded shall earn legal interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the finality of the resolution until fully paid.

“On this score, petitioner’s act of forcing the victim, AAA, and his classmates to place in their mouths pieces of trash, consisting of scraps of paper, pencil shavings, dirt, and candy wrappers from the classroom’s dustpan, undoubtedly debased, degraded, and demeaned their intrinsic worth and dignity as children,” it said.

According to the Court, the child had suffered from lead poisoning and developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“As eloquently pronounced by the CA, no self-respecting human being would voluntarily place pieces of garbage in his or her mouth unless undoubly coerced to do so,” it said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News