Dark turn for Colombian siblings who survived plane crash: Father charged with sexual abuse

Bogota, Columbia

Two of the four Indigenous children who managed to survive for an astonishing 40 days in the Amazon jungle after a plane crash have seen their lives marred by further tragedy. The father of these children has now been charged with sexually abusing his stepdaughter, according to media reports quoting Colombian prosecutors.

In the early hours of May 1, a Cessna 206 aircraft, carrying seven people from Araracuara in Amazonas province to San Jose del Guaviare in Guaviare province, sent out a distress signal due to engine problems. Although three adults, including the pilot and a mother, sadly lost their lives, the children were left to manage on their own.

In a legal development following the incredible survival story, Colombian authorities have accused Manuel Ranoque, the father of two of the young survivors, of committing sexual abuse against his stepdaughter, Lesly.

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Prosecutors stated that the abuse had reportedly been ongoing since Lesly was 10 years old. Ranoque, who denies the charges, was arrested on Friday and is currently in custody pending further proceedings, reports said. 

The journey of survival for the children has been remarkable. The siblings, members of the Huitoto Indigenous group, demonstrated exceptional resilience. The 13-year-old Lesly played a pivotal role in their survival, using her extensive knowledge of the jungle to navigate its perils, including snakes, predators, and criminal groups.

The children's ability to endure was sustained by their discovery of a cache of cassava flour from the crashed plane and wild fruits.

Custody dispute 

In a large-scale search operation, led by the military, over a hundred Colombian special forces personnel and 70 indigenous scouts conducted an extensive search throughout the dense forest.

After several days, four Colombian children were rescued. 

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Following their miraculous rescue, a custody dispute ensued between their maternal grandparents and Ranoque, the biological father of the two younger siblings.

After being found just five kilometres away from the crash site, the children went through a month of recovery in a hospital.

Subsequently, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute took custody of the children. It was during this time that signs of possible sexual abuse were detected, leading the institute to inform the authorities.

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The four-year-old Tien Noriel Ranoque Mucutuy's first words were after the rescue was, "My mother is dead." Meanwhile, the eldest of the group, Lesly Jacobombaire Mucutuy, said, "I'm feeling hungry."

Lesly had told her family from the hospital that her mother Magdalena Mucutuy, was alive after the plane crash and that she fought hard to survive for four days before eventually telling her children to leave her behind and asking Lesly to take care of her younger siblings.