Group urges family to reject belkol money

 A GROUP campaigning against family and sexual violence has advised the family of a five-year-old girl who was allegedly raped to reject any offer of belkol money.

The Family and Sexual Violence Action Committee of the Consultative Implementations and Monitoring Council condemned the alleged sex attack in Port Moresby, saying it was the action of people with sick minds.

It was in response to an article in last Friday’s The National “Rape victim’s relatives refuse ‘belkol’ money”.

The committee’s national programme coordinator, Ume Wainetti, said the family should see that the men involved were brought to justice. 

She said the family should reject attempts by the culprits to pay compensation to the girl and her family.

Wainetti said the girl’s father should think about the injustice and trauma she was going through.

She said belkol should only be allowed to be paid to defuse tensions and prevent further harm or destruction.

“Mediation is allowed in such situations because it defuses tension, considering the payback system practised in Papua New Guinea,” she said. 

“But it shouldn’t allow charges laid against the perpetrators to be dropped.

“We expect the perpetrators to be penalised.”

Committee projects coordinator Isi Oru said sex crimes against children were increasing. 

He urged the Government to enforce laws,  especially the Lukautim Pikinini Act that provided child protection.