A court in Tonacatepeque, a municipality just north of San Salvador, has handed down sentences to a man and a woman found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl over a period of more than a year. According to case details, the couple used psychological manipulation and threats to keep the victim silent, telling her that what they were doing to her was necessary to “ward off evil spirits.”
Prosecutors argued that the pair exploited the child’s fears and trust, framing the abuse as a kind of spiritual protection rather than a crime. This tactic allowed the abuse to continue undetected for an extended period, as the victim reportedly believed she was being helped rather than harmed.
After reviewing the evidence, judges determined that both defendants were responsible for the repeated abuse and issued prison sentences reflecting the severity and duration of the crimes. Salvadoran authorities have increasingly cracked down on cases involving child sexual abuse, particularly those where perpetrators use manipulation, superstition, or coercion to silence victims and delay justice.
Cases like this one highlight ongoing concerns in El Salvador about the vulnerability of children to abuse within trusted household or family settings, and the difficulty authorities face in uncovering these crimes when victims are manipulated into secrecy.
To learn more about the case and the court’s ruling, read the full original report from El Diario de Hoy.
Source: Pareja abusaba de una menor con la excusa de «alejar los malos espíritus» (El Diario de Hoy).
Image: Joe Gratz, CC0 1.0 (via Openverse).