What happened to the children’s father, Manuel Ranoque

The fascinating Netflix documentary The lost children tells the true story of four brothers who survived in the Colombian rainforest after a plane crash. The accident and subsequent search for the children became international news in 2023, as people across Colombia realized how small the children were and how difficult it would be for them to survive alone in the Amazon. The documentary describes how the world watched with bated breath until the titular lost children were finally rescued from the Colombian rainforest after 40 days.

The lost childrenDirected by Oscar winner Orlando von Einsiedel, it caught the public’s attention by portraying the rescue efforts undertaken by the Colombian military and indigenous groups. The lost children It doesn’t focus too much on where the children are now, but rather focuses on the rescue effort and the background. Although the beginning of the film shows the mother and children boarding the plane to set the scene, most of the The lost children These are images taken by the people who looked for the children in 2023, complemented by interviews with military personnel, indigenous volunteers and the children’s families, which also give an idea of ​​the relationship with their father, Manuel Ranoque.

Manuel Ranoque was arrested for abuse after his children were rescued

New evidence about the treatment of children has emerged

In the final minutes of The lost childrenmessages appear on the screen to share this the children were placed in the custody of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute and their father, Manuel Ranoque, was arrested. According to SportskeedaRanoque was arrested in August 2023, just months after the children were rescued. He was accused of sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, Lesly, and is now in prison awaiting trial.

Among the footage used in The lost children are videos by Ranoque, who is the father of Tien and Cristin Mucutuy and stepfather of Lesly and Soleiny Mucutuy. In the first half of the documentary, Ranoque appears devastated by the absence of his children and the loss of his mother. However, halfway through the documentary, the truth begins to emerge when the children’s aunt and grandmother admit that the children were afraid of him and that he had a history of abuse.

Manuel Ranoque had a history of abuse before the plane crash in 2023

The Lost Children describes that children were already afraid of Manuel Ranoque

After the children’s aunt and maternal grandmother, Fátima Valencia, are interviewed midway through the documentary, what viewers thought they knew about the search changes. Fátima Valencia alleged that her daughter (mother of the children), Magdalena Mucutuy, was abused by Manuel Ranoque. Fátima alleged that Magdalena had scars all over her body due to Ranoque’s abuse, which she covered with her hair and clothes. The children’s aunt and grandmother also stated that they were worried about the lives of the four brothers and their mother before the plane crash in 2023.

At a certain point in the documentary, when all the investigators begin to doubt whether they will even find the children, the two women even claim to believe that the children are hiding on purpose so as not to have to see Manuel Ranoque. While The lost children never confirms whether this is actually what the kids were doing, this supports the conclusion that the rainforest itself wanted Ranoque to leave after he became ill following the yagé ritual. Happily, The lost children ends with the children safely surviving the accident and continuing to be safely cared for away from Ranoque.

Source: Sportskeeda