The father of two of four indigenous children who lived 40 days in Colombia’s Amazon jungle after a plane crash was charged on Saturday (12) by the Colombian government ministry for sexually abusing his eldest stepdaughter.

A public prosecutor charged him with “the crimes of aggravated forced sexual intercourse and abusive sexual acts” with a minor in a trial on Saturday evening (12) in the municipality of Florencia (Southwest).

Manuel Ranoc, the father of two of four indigenous children who lived 40 days in the Colombian Amazon after the plane crash, was captured last Friday, August 11, following reports of alleged sexual abuse against one of his stepdaughters. Photo: Handout / COLOMBIAN PROSECUTOR’S PRESS OFFICE / AFP

“He is accused of abusing his stepdaughter,” Leslie, from the age of 10, prosecutors said.

Leslie, now 13, looked after her younger siblings during the odyssey that followed the May 1 plane crash that killed her mother and two other passengers.

The father, Manuel Ranoc, arrested on Friday (11) and denying the charges, will remain in prison, the public ministry said.

Ranoke, who belongs to the Witoto indigenous people, was involved in a gigantic search operation to find Leslie, Soleini (age 9), Thien Noriel (age 5) and Christine (age 1) in a vast area of ​​the jungle. He is the biological father of two minors.

Lost in the jungles of Colombia

The children survived thanks to a bag of cassava flour that was on the plane and wild fruit.

After being rescued, they were placed in the custody of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare (ICBF), which “discovered the possible sexual abuse and authorized the State Department to launch an investigation.”

William Castro, the governor of the local community where the family lived, told TV Caracol in late June that “there are indications” that Ranock raped Leslie.

After a month of care, the juveniles were discharged from the military hospital in Bogota, showing good health in mid-July.

The ICBF continues to care for them, although their maternal grandparents have expressed interest in taking care of them. The government protected the brothers from media coverage. Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that he was preparing a documentary about them.