Australian charged by wife’s niece

DAVAO CITY — A 64-year-old Australian national is facing arrest here in Davao City after he was found to have been sexually molesting the 11-year-old niece of his wife since 1997.

Regional Trial Court Branch 8 Judge Salvador Ibarreta Jr. ordered the arrest of Svene Nielsen of Queensland, Australia following his indictment on acts of lasciviousness as recommended by City Prosecutor Serafica Weis.

Weis ruled that there was sufficient basis for indicting Nielsen even if the victim only filed the complaint early this year after she decided to reveal her ordeal to her parents.

The girl, who is now 15 years old, has reportedly been keeping to herself what Nielsen had been repeatedly doing to her as she feared for her life.

The suspect also reportedly played on the emotion of the girl by showering her with gifts as a way of keeping her from revealing to others that he was molesting her.

The girl was only able to reveal her ordeal to her parents last Jan. 15, after which her father immediately accompanied her to the police. — Edith Regalado