Filipina files rape charges against foreigner met online

After six years of silence, a Filipina mustered the courage to file a complaint before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office to investigate a Singaporean national who allegedly raped her six years ago.

In her sworn affidavit submitted to the prosecutor’s office, the woman identified her alleged assailant as Ricky Ravin Narwani, who is based in Singapore.

She alleged that she first encountered Narwani in 2019 through “Omegle,” a free online chat website, and their communication continued through “Discord,” another online platform that allows users to chat through text, voice, and video.

The victim, due to their frequent conversations online, claimed that she gradually became comfortable with him and thought he was a good and decent person because of his polite and respectful demeanor.

She further narrated that Narwani eventually told her that he would be visiting the country in January 2020 in order to meet her in person.

“I agreed to meet Ricky thinking that it would simply be a casual meeting and I did not expect anything bad would happen,” she claimed.

The complainant, on 27 January, said they finally met at a posh shopping mall in Makati City, where they had a pleasant and meaningful conversation about their personal lives.

She said Narwani even invited her to visit Singapore and to travel with him to other countries.

“I assumed that our friendship would develop into something good and positive because of the kindness he showed me,” the complainant said.

After several hours, the complainant said Narwani asked her to go with him to another mall in Pasay City for coffee and to briefly meet another friend.

When they arrived at the mall, the complainant said she saw Narwani talking to someone on his mobile phone.

After he put down his phone, Narwani told her that his friend had canceled their meet-up and that they would just have coffee at the lobby of a nearby condominium building where he had rented a unit while he was in the country.

Since he had already gained her trust, the complainant claimed she agreed to accompany Narwani to the building.

When they arrived at the building, Narwani then told her that they would have to go to his room first to check on his things.

But the complainant said when they entered the room, Narwani immediately locked the door, and she noticed that his personal belongings were not there, contrary to his claim.

She alleged that the foreign national physically and sexually abused her while inside the unit despite her repeated pleas to stop.

After the incident, the complainant said she managed to report the incident to the nearby barangay office but opted not to go to the police anymore out of fear and embarrassment.

“I admit being extremely afraid of being judged by other people, especially by my family and close friends. I don’t want them to know that I became a rape victim because I went with a person I barely knew,” the complainant said, while noting that she was only 18 years old when the incident happened.

She also admitted not being able to consult a doctor for a medical examination out of fear and the emotional trauma she experienced.

“I am now ready to identify the person subject of my complaint and to testify before the court,” the complainant said in her affidavit, which she executed last March 5.

The complainant’s affidavit, however, would have to undergo evaluation by the prosecutor’s office to determine if it is sufficient in form and substance to proceed with the conduct of a preliminary investigation.