Crimes linked to alcohol up
By GABRIEL FITO
AT least three school children are dead and one woman was raped as alcohol-related crimes continue to increase in East Sepik province.
Provincial police commander Kaiglo Ambane said alcohol-related crimes were on the rise because beer was now being sold everywhere by people who were taking advantage of the non-existence of a provincial liquor board.
Mr Ambane said the provincial liquor board was the legal body put in place to monitor and control the issue of licences but in its absence, police could do very little.
He said police lacked resources and would need the support of all elected national and local level government leaders, churches, NGOs and community leaders to tackle the escalating problem.
Mr Ambane said Government leaders should convene a provincial executive meeting immediately to address issues affecting the province.
He said under-aged drinking, especially among school children, was on the increase with three deaths occuring within the last two weeks.
In the latest incident, a Grade 11 student at Brandi Secondary School was stabbed to death at Kaindi last Saturday.
The student from Alpinama village in Maprik was on his way to Kaindi with a friend when he met his fate.
Two suspects have been arrested and charged in relation to the murder.
The killing of another student occurred at a settlement in Wewak, while another student was knocked down by a PMV along the Sepik highway last week.
In another incident, a 29-year-old woman, who was returning to her Nuigo home last Saturday evening, was held up and raped by a group of youth allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
The alleged rapists are still at large.
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