Court dismisses rape charge

There is a growing number of mentally affected women being raped, Magistrate Cosmas Bidar says.
“Man I askim meri na meri I behainim tasol becos meri i half sense liklik (A man asks a woman for sex and she follows him because she is mentally affected),” Bidar said.
He made the comments after dismissing a case of a man charged with the rape of a woman who had been mentally affected.
On June 13 last year, Matthew Yaku, from Wapenamanda district of Enga, allegedly raped a woman who was described by the community at Wildlife settlement in Port Moresby as “halfsense” (one who is mentally affected).
After reading the charge to Yaku in tok pisin, Bidar told the court that Yaku had admitted to police about having sex with the victim three times previously.
In his ruling, Bidar said the victim had already given her consent to Yaku three times so there was not enough evidence to commit the trial to the national court.
He ordered that Yaku be refunded his bail money.