I KNEW it. I knew that girl was up to no good. When I saw her on TV being interviewed a few weeks ago, there was something off. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

When a minor goes on camera to tell the public that she has been sexually molested--by a priest, no less--I’d expect, I don’t know, a quiver in her voice. At the very least. But no, not even a stammer.

And she didn’t display any of the tell-tale signs of sexual abuse. According to the US Department of Justice, teens that have been are usually aggressive, depressed, anxious, suicidal or afraid of intimacy or closeness, among others. The website, though, had a disclaimer: “The occurrence of one indicator does not necessarily mean a person has experienced sexual abuse. Additionally, indicators of sexual abuse can vary widely from person to person.”

So let’s go through the check list. Did the 16-year-old trainee for the parish choir seem anxious? Not a bit. Did she display any sign of fear or aggressive behavior? Hmmm. Nope and nope.

What she was that day, though, was excited. And amused. Even a tad incredulous. She reminded me of someone who was afraid that their 15 minutes of fame were almost up. Ah, then that would explain the verbal diarrhea.

But hey, who am I to psychoanalyze her? I’m not qualified, but it doesn’t mean I can’t discern between “normal” and “abnormal” behavior. So I guess, I’ll continue to dish out my 10 cents worth of psychobabble.

For someone who had allegedly been sexually abused, she certainly didn’t act the part. I mean, if you’re going to shout out to the world that you’re a victim, please have the courtesy to act like one. In other words, don’t be nonchalant when you describe, in detail, what allegedly transpired on the day you were manhandled by the priest.

I was looking for the bucket of tears. The mental breakdown. The hysterics. Instead, I saw someone who was talking like she was discussing her outing with friends over the weekend and had a falling out with one of them. And oh, the girl actually had the audacity to smirk during the interview.

So why am I being so hard on the girl? Let’s see, allegations of sexual molestation are, well, very serious. To back out after all but destroying the reputation of the priest, who was, by the way, unfairly named by the TV station, would be a travesty of justice. Both for the girl and the priest.

Whether true or not, the claims the girl made will stick to her for the rest of her life. She may be too young to realize it now, but she will always be the subject of gossip. She will always be THAT GIRL who brought a priest to ruin.

As for the priest, he will always be the cleric who forced himself on a young parishioner. Even though the girl has decided not to push through with her complaint against him, the case will still be included in his personal record for future reference.

For someone who’s fond of reading between the lines, here’s what piqued my interest in the report of Sun.Star Cebu’s Justin K. Vestil. The lede says the girl “is no longer pushing through with her complaint against the cleric.” But nowhere in the report does it say that she is retracting her story.

It was Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma who jumped to the conclusion that, because she’s not filing the case, “it’s simply a sign that there may be no truth to the matter.”

Msgr. Joseph Tan, the Cebu Archdiocese’s official spokesperson, admitted that they’re expecting a backlash from various sectors who will claim that the Church had something to do with the girl’s change of heart.

But their conscience is clear, Tan said. If only the same could be said about the truth.