A 10-year-old girl has been taken into care after her grandmother cut off her right forefinger after accusing her of stealing 20 pesos.
Superintendent Laudemer Laude, Tagum City police chief, said they were planning to file charges against the grandmother, who has not been named to protect her granddaughter’s anonymity.
Supt. Laude said today (Tuesday, April 25) that the grandmother cut off the child’s finger last Wednesday in Apokon village.
Delia Monilla, a community leader, said the grandmother got angry at the girl for pilfering money.
“The grandmother said she was fed up with the girl for repeatedly stealing money. She said the child has already stolen about 7,000 pesos. The 20 pesos was not the first,” Mrs Monilla told a local radio station.
“As far as I know the child was not being neglected. She and her two other siblings are being fed well.”
According to Mrs Monilla, the victim’s mother is an overseas worker based in the Middle East. The child’s father, who had left the family, is the son of the grandmother.
Neighbours, who asked not to be named, said the child allegedly stole the money to buy bread.
Supt. Laude told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that police rescued the child on Monday and placed her in the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Arlene Semblante, provincial social welfare chief, said: “We will take care of the child. If she has to be taken away from her grandmother’s custody, we will recommend her to be under the provincial women and children shelter.”
She added that she was nearly in tears upon seeing the picture of the child’s mutilated index finger posted on Facebook. “She must have been traumatised,” she said.
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