BOGOTA: According to reports, the eldest of the four children who survived the May 1 plane crash in the Amazon forest in Colombia was abused by her stepfather. The police arrested Manuel Ranok, the second husband of Magdalena Valencia, the mother of the children. Magdalena's two eldest girls, aged 13 and 9, are from her first marriage.

The information about the abuse was disclosed during the counselling received by the children who were under treatment after leaving the hospital. It was found that the girl had been molested by him since she was 10 years old. Ranok has not confessed to the crime.

After Magdalena's family complained that Ranok would harm the children, the Colombian Family Welfare Institute took over their protection. The officials here discovered that the child had been sexually assaulted.

The army found the children after a 40-day-long search. They survived the plane crash in which three people, including Magdalena, were killed. The girls were wandering in the forest with their siblings, aged four and one.