Court wants law on pocket knives

National

By CHRISTOPHER YOWAT
THE government should implement strict laws to stop the sale of pocket knives in public markets and on the streets due to increasing crimes of wounding and murder before the court, a prosecutor says.
Sergeant Pirika Eafeara,  a prosecutor at the Waigani Committal Court in Port Moresby, told The National that the number of perpetrators charged with wounding, grievous bodily harm and murder using pocket knives had increased.
He said that most of the cases that came before the court were related to marital affairs and alcohol consumption.
“Most women are appearing in court charged with wounding using pocket knives,” Eafeara said.
“The sales of pocket knives must be controlled with strict laws implemented by the government.
“Most of the cases are related to marital affairs, especially by women.
“This happens when the wife confronts the mistress of her husband.
“Sometimes women attack their husbands after finding out the truth.
“So the government needs to control the sale of pocket knives on the streets and at the markets.
“This is a concern because the offence of wounding has increased.
“There are also cases where some victims die after being stabbed.”
Eafeara said that the government should also implement laws that would ban individuals to carry pocket knives on the streets.
“There is also an increase of murder cases before the committal court,” he said.
“The murder weapons used are often pocket knives.
“This is a growing issue and I appeal to the government to seriously look into it.”