By PILA WASU
A YOUNG mother and her three-year-old daughter were brutally murdered last Saturday morning in Kimbe, West New Britain province.
The alleged murder reportedly took place at the Morokea village Oil Palm settlement after the woman refused to give into sexual demands by a man.
Police have detained a suspect from Bali Island, who was now being questioned.
Two formal charges of murder were expected to be laid against him, police added.
Police Commissioner Gari Baki, who was recently in the province, said he was aware of the reports and would be deploying New Guinea Island commander Fred Sheekiot to the province and bring the situation under control.
Mr Baki said he had met with the WNB governor who expressed concerns at the way police had handled the situation, adding the Kimbe community was angry at the murders.
Kimbe police chief Sgt Philip Sege, who was at the murder scene, identified the woman as Maria Aitua, 33, of Meselia in the Kandrian district, and her daughter, Jessica.
Sgt Sege said the woman had left her two daughters behind in the house and had taken her baby daughter with her to the nearby bushes in search of firewood.
He said the alleged suspect had ambushed them while they were returning to the house.
Sgt Sege said there was a struggle between Aitua and the man which, he said, was evident from her torn dress.
“I think the suspect must have tried to rape her but the woman did not give in and the suspect must have killed her … our investigation show that there was some kind of resistance,” he said.
Mr Sege said the husband of the woman, employed by a logging company in Buluma, was away at work when the incident happened.
“We suspect the culprit must have taken advantage of the absence of the husband.”
Meanwhile, the body of a father of two, Richard Maiu, 29, from Talasea and Arowe, was found in the early hours of Sunday along the road at Laleki settlement outside Kimbe town.
Police have detained some suspects for questioning.