A teacher at a public school in the town of Inirida, far-east Colombia, has been sentenced to 24 years prison for sexually assaulting two underage schoolgirls, reported El Espectador.
The teacher, Manuel de la Cruz Ibarguen Garces was found guilty of the crime of abusive sexual intercourse against a minor under 14 years, said the Prosecutor General’s Office in a statement.
Ibarguen was sentenced by the court of Inirida, the capital of the Guainia department, situated on the Venezuelan border.
He was arrested last March 8, 2011, when he was caught sexually abusing two girls of 9 and 14 years of age in the food storeroom on the school premises.
In recent weeks, Colombian politicians have been debating introducing life imprisonment for child abusers and murderers. The current constitution prevents anyone to be sentenced to life imprisonment, however, if the bill is passed, perpetrators such as Ibarguen could receive the life sentence.