Criminal Liability of a Minor
A 14-year old boy was caught in the act of raping a 7-year old girl. What would be the liability, if any, does the boy have? We will answer this question in accordance to what has been provided by Republic Act No. 9344 or otherwise known as the "Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006" This law has defined what the child is. Accordingly, the child refers to a person under the age of eighteen (18). The age of the child shall be reckoned at the alleged time of the commission of the crime and not on the time when he/she was apprehended, nor at the moment the judgment shall be given. Further, said law has also classified the child into: 1. A child who was 15 years old or under at the time of the commission of the crime. 2. A child who was below 18 but above 15 years old at the time of the commission of the crime. Based also on the said law, the child who is alleged, as accused of, or adjudged as, having committed an offense under Phil...