25 years for rapist

 A MAN who pleaded guilty of raping a nine-month pregnant woman while holding a knife against her throat was jailed 25 years yesterday.

The Kokopo National Court sentenced  Himson Piamia on one count of aggravated rape that occurred at 2am on March 16 last year.

Piamia allowed his brother to rape the woman, as well.

The court heard that the victim and her children, two sisters and their mother were asleep at their village in Kokopo when Piamia and his brother, Ronthan Piamia, used bush knives to cut around the walls of the victim’s house. 

They called for the victim to come out.

In the process of cutting the walls, an infant’s head was almost cut.

In fear, the victim came outside the house with her young daughter holding a torch and the prisoner ordered the victim to take back the torch and her daughter back into the house and return outside herself.

The prisoner placed the bush knife against the victim’s throat and forced her down to the ground and raped her.

The prisoner’s brother then took his turn to rape the victim.

Justice Salatiel Lenalia told the prisoner that sex without love was greedy on his part.

He said the sentence would sound a clear warning to similar offenders who harassed their womenfolk and treated them as sex slaves.

“I have considered that force was applied to threaten the victim with bush knives before the crime was committed.”

Lenalia said he considered this case as the worst type and the prisoner must serve a term that would show society’s revulsion against the type of violation of the female that the prisoner and his brother abused.

The prisoner was previously convicted under the name Himson Akuila Peni by Justice Panuel Mogish for armed robbery on Sept 16, 2013.

The prisoner’s brother, Ronthan is still on the run.