Introduction

Adult survivors of child abuse in the Philippines have a clear legal right and pathway to report historical abuse, seek justice, and access support services. Philippine law treats child abuse as a public crime, meaning the State is the primary offended party and has a duty to prosecute even if the victim is reluctant or the incident occurred many years ago. The fact that the victim is now an adult does not extinguish the crime, provided it has not yet prescribed.

The principal laws governing this matter are:

Republic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act, as amended)
Republic Act No. 8353 (The Anti-Rape Law of 1997, as amended by RA 11648 in 2022)
Republic Act No. 9262 (Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004)
Revised Penal Code provisions on rape, acts of lasciviousness, seduction, and serious physical injuries
Republic Act No. 11930 (Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2022)
Republic Act No. 9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2008)

Definition of Child Abuse Under Philippine Law

A “child” under RA 7610 is any person below 18 years of age or those over 18 but unable to fully take care of or protect themselves from abuse due to physical or mental disability or condition.

Child abuse under Section 3(b) of RA 7610 includes:

Psychological and physical abuse, neglect, cruelty, sexual abuse and emotional maltreatment;
Any act by deeds or words which debases, degrades or demeans the intrinsic worth and dignity of a child as a human being;
Unreasonable deprivation of basic needs for survival;
Failure to immediately give medical treatment to an injured child resulting in serious impairment of growth and development or permanent disability or death.

Sexual abuse specifically includes:

Acts of lasciviousness or lascivious conduct under Section 5(b) of RA 7610
Rape (Article 266-A, Revised Penal Code)
Sexual assault (insertion of any object or body part other than penis)
Child prostitution and child pornography
Online sexual abuse or exploitation (RA 11930)

Prescriptive Periods (Statute of Limitations)

This is the most critical consideration for adult survivors.

Crime / Violation	Penalty Range	Prescriptive Period	When Period Begins to Run
Rape (victim under 12 – statutory rape) or qualified rape	Reclusion perpetua	20 years	Day the crime was committed
Rape (victim 12 and above)	Reclusion perpetua to death (now RP)	20 years	Day of commission
Sexual assault under RPC or RA 7610	Reclusion temporal to reclusion perpetua depending on circumstances	20 years	Day of commission
Lascivious conduct under Section 5(b) RA 7610 (when not constituting rape/sexual assault)	Reclusion temporal medium to reclusion perpetua	20 years	Day of commission
Lasciviousness under Art. 336 RPC	Prision correccional	10 years	Day of commission
Child abuse with serious physical injuries	Reclusion temporal	20 years	Day of commission
Cruelty/cruel treatment (lighter)	Prision correccional	10 years	Day of commission
Online sexual abuse/exploitation (RA 11930)	Reclusion perpetua in qualified cases	20 years	Day of commission or last act in continuing crimes

Important notes:

The prescriptive period is NOT tolled (suspended) until the victim reaches 18. It runs from the date of the last abusive act (Supreme Court rulings: People v. Tulagan, G.R. No. 227363, 12 March 2019; People v. Pangilinan, G.R. No. 241456, 08 July 2020).
Continuing or serial abuse may be treated as a continuing crime, with prescription running from the last act.
There is currently NO law making all child sexual abuse imprescriptible (as of December 2025). Bills have been repeatedly filed but none have passed both houses and been signed into law.
If the crime has prescribed, criminal prosecution is no longer possible, but civil damages may still be pursued (prescription for civil action based on quasi-delict is 4 years from discovery or majority, but based on crime follows the criminal prescription).

Where and How to Report as an Adult Survivor

You may report at any time, even decades later, provided the crime has not prescribed.

Primary Reporting Channels

Philippine National Police (PNP) – Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) or any police station’s Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD)
- Hotline: 0919-777-7377 or dial 117
- Walk-in at any police station (mandatory 24/7 WCPD)
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – Violence Against Women and Children Division
- Hotline: (02) 8523-8231 loc. 5400
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
- Crisis Intervention Unit or local Social Welfare Office
- Hotline: (02) 8934-8633 or 0917-872-9945
Local Barangay – Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) or Barangay VAWC Desk
- Mandatory first step for RA 9262 cases
City or Provincial Prosecutor’s Office – direct filing of complaint-affidavit
Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) – for free legal assistance if indigent
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) – free legal aid clinics
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) – if there is State involvement or for human-rights framing

Procedure Step-by-Step

Go to the nearest PNP WCPD or WCPC (recommended for immediate action).
Execute a complaint-affidavit detailing the abuse (date, place, acts, offender, circumstances). Be as specific as possible.
Submit supporting evidence (if any): medical records, psychological evaluation, diary entries, witnesses, old photographs, letters, etc.
Undergo medico-legal or psycho-social evaluation (still valuable even years later to establish trauma).
The police conduct investigation and file the case in court via inquest or preliminary investigation.
Prosecutor determines probable cause and files Information in court.
Trial proceeds under the Rule on Examination of a Child Witness (A.M. No. 004-07-SC) even if victim is now adult – closed-door hearings, video testimony, support person allowed.
Victim may request protection order under RA 7610 Section 28 or RA 9262.

Evidence When Reporting Years Later

The testimony of the victim alone, if credible, is sufficient for conviction (People v. Pruna, 2003; numerous subsequent cases).
Delayed reporting is NOT fatal and is explained by trauma, fear, shame, or offender’s authority (consistent Supreme Court doctrine).
Corroborative evidence strengthens the case: contemporaneous complaints to friends/family, behavioral changes documented in school records, subsequent psychological diagnoses (PTSD, depression, anxiety), suicide attempts, etc.
Recent psychological/psychiatric evaluation linking current condition to childhood abuse is highly persuasive.

Support Services Available to Adult Survivors

DSWD – counseling, temporary shelter, livelihood assistance, referral to therapists
PNP WCPC – crisis intervention, referral to hospitals for therapy
Philippine General Hospital – Women and Children Protection Unit (forensic and therapeutic services)
Private and NGO centers:
- Women’s Crisis Center (02) 8926-7745
- Child Protection Network hospitals (over 120 nationwide)
- Gabriela Women’s Party hotlines
- Bantay Bata 163 (ABS-CBN Foundation)
- Laura Vicuña Foundation (for female survivors)
- Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse (CPTCSA)
Free psychotherapy through some LGUs and universities (UP-PGH, Ateneo Bulatao Center, etc.)
Legal aid – PAO, FLAG (Free Legal Assistance Group), IBP, Saligan

Civil Damages and Restitution

Even if criminal case prospers or fails, the victim may file a separate or independent civil action for:

Moral damages (P100,000–P1,000,000+ depending on severity)
Exemplary damages
Actual damages (therapy costs, lost income due to trauma)
Attorney’s fees

Civil action based on the crime prescribes together with the criminal action.

Special Protections for Reporting Survivors

Identity protection (RA 7610 Section 29, RA 9208 Section 7)
No publication of name or identifiable details without consent
Closed-door trial
Video-recorded or live-link testimony
Protection orders (restraining, stay-away, support)

Challenges Adult Survivors Commonly Face

Fear that the case will be dismissed due to passage of time (common misconception)
Family pressure to remain silent
Re-traumatization during investigation/trial
Lack of evidence
Offender’s death (extinguishes criminal liability but civil may survive against estate)

Conclusion

Adult survivors of child abuse in the Philippines are strongly encouraged to come forward. The State has a non-delegable duty to prosecute child abuse, and numerous support mechanisms exist. While prescription remains a barrier for very old cases, the vast majority of survivors who experienced abuse in the 2000s or later are still well within the 20-year period as of 2025.

Reporting is not only about criminal punishment; it is about reclaiming dignity, breaking cycles of abuse in families, and accessing long-overdue healing and justice.

You are never “too late” to speak if the crime has not prescribed, and you are never alone. Reach out today to any of the agencies listed above.