Police rapes girl

A GRADE six student in Madang was allegedly raped by a policeman last Thursday, but despite complaints laid by the girl’s relatives, the suspect is still out and free without being charged or detained.

Father and uncle of the girl yesterday expressed their disappointment to this paper saying despite an official complaint being lodged last Friday, police in Madang were yet to detain the policeman concerned.

“When the mother and the victim went to the station and lodged the complaint last Friday, they were told to produce a medical report but the medical report according to the hospital, will be ready next week and while the girl is suffering from the trauma, the policeman is scot free, is there any justice in this,” said the uncle.

“Is there a law for police and a different set of law for other rapists. Can the PPC Madang ensure that the officer is arrested and locked the father questioned?”

The father of the victim is in Port Moresby

Attempts to talk to PPC Madang were unsuccessful.

Police impartiality questioned

A YOUNG mother has questioned the impartiality of police at 15 Mile outside Port Moresby, claiming that they have done nothing to help protect her from her abusive ex-husband.

Stephanie Tei, a 26-year-old mother of two children, aged 4 and 2, said despite ending the relationship in June last year, she claims police have abetted her ex-husband Ravu Jack in attacking and abusing her on two separate occasions.

Stephanie’s mother, Mary Tom said the first assault occurred in September last year when Mr Jack allegedly threw a stone through the glass window of her brother’s company provided house at 14 Mile at 2am one morning.

Mr Jack was arrested, charged and appeared in court where he was ordered on September 8 last year to pay K800 to Hugo Canning, owners of the house, within two weeks, for the damage.

Mr Jack was also fined K200 in default six months imprisonment.

Mrs Tom claimed Mr Ravu had since been released on K50 bail and to date had never complied with the requirements of the court order.

She also accused 15 Mile police officers of failure to arrest him and claimed that on numerous occasions, when they had tried to follow up, the police always gave vague excuses as to why they could not arrest Ravu.

“The warrant of commitment is still being held by a policeman (named), working in the Central Police headquarters and when I ask him about it, he says he will follow up but nothing happens after this,” she said.

But Senior Inspector Jeffrey Tavisi at Central Province headquarters denied these claims stating that the 15 Mile police had handled the matter and Mr Ravu was already arrested and charged accordingly.

However, Insp Tavisi could not comment on why Mr Ravu had been granted bail and had failed to meet the court ordered fines.

Mrs Tom said that the second incident occurred recently when her niece was arrested from work by 15 Mile policemen and was taken to the station without being charged.

“My niece then asked what she was being arrested for and the police told her that she was being arrested for adultery and sending text messages to a married man,” Mrs Tom said. “When she asked to see evidence of that message she was told the phone had been destroyed. The next day, the police came with the niece of one of the policemen’s wife who had accused her of adultery and police stood by and watched the woman and some of her female relatives physically assault her.

Attempts to speak to 15 Mile police were unsuccessful.