A Colombian school bus driver has been taken into custody for allegations of rape and kidnapping after a young girl he had kidnapped over a decade ago managed to free herself. The victim, who had disappeared at the age of seven, escaped in February and reported her abuser. The suspect, identified as Carlos Humberto Grisales Higuita, was apprehended in Medellin last week.
The girl had been relocated multiple times between addresses in Medellin and nearby Bello after being kidnapped. She was reportedly subjected to rape, even on camera, during her captivity. The man had changed her name, kept her hidden, and prevented her from attending school.
Carlos Humberto Grisales Higuita, now facing charges of kidnapping, raping a minor, and creating child sexual abuse material, allegedly manipulated the girl psychologically to normalize his abusive behavior. When the victim was 16, she confronted her captor, leading him to confine her in a house from which she eventually escaped earlier this year. The man refuted all allegations during his court appearance and has been detained pending trial.
The disclosure of recent child sexual abuse cases in Medellin, including incidents involving foreign tourists, has sparked outrage in Colombia. The city reported 139 instances of child sexual exploitation from January to August this year, with 14 foreigners arrested for child sex abuse. Following an incident in April involving an American visitor apprehended with two young girls in a hotel, only to be released later, the city hall prohibited street prostitution in tourist zones.
Despite the prevalence of child sexual assault, many offenders remain unpunished in Colombia. A report by Colombia Reports revealed that only 1,389 individuals were convicted for sexual violence against children between 2018 and the present, representing less than 2% of children evaluated by medical professionals for alleged sexual violence during the same period. According to Children Change Colombia, approximately 200,000 minors experience sexual abuse annually in the country.
A 2021 survey on Violence Against Children indicated that two out of five Colombian youths encountered violence before turning 18. The alarming statistics underscore the urgent need for stronger measures to protect children and hold perpetrators of child sexual abuse accountable.