Accused rapist’s mum appeals

By BEVERLY PETER
A MOTHER has asked a court to release her son who has spent five months in custody for allegedly raping his daughter.
The grandmother of the 12-year-old victim said she had been a widow for 14 years and her son was the family’s only means of support.
“My son would not do such thing,” she said.
“He has been in jail for a long time now and who will provide for us?”
She said this at the committal court in Waigani yesterday.
The mother made the plea following her son’s application to have his case struck out for want of a police file.
The son (victim’s father) said he was in custody for three months and the police had failed to have his file ready.
“This is a long time and my family including my wife and children are suffering,” he said.
Magistrate Paul Puri Nii said according to the court file, the father of the victim was arrested and charged in May.
“The accused has only been in custody for three months,” he said.
“The charge in this matter is serious in its nature and the court will deal with it on its merit.”
The father was charged with persistent sexual abuse, rape, and incest.
Magistrate Nii said there was evidence that the investigating officer was on election duty and was not able to complete the file.
“It is in the interest of justice and fairness that a month is given to the police to file the evidence,” he said.
Police alleged that the father had been sexually abusing his daughter since she was eight years old.
The father lived with the victim, his younger son, his wife and mother at Gerehu.
It was alleged the father allegedly abused his daughter in the bedroom and living room when she returned home from school as her mother was still at work.
The girl’s mother left the family last year.
The father continued to abuse the daughter during the night when her little brother was asleep.
He told the victim not to tell anyone about it as he was the only one looking after them.
This led to the recent incident on April 21.
It was alleged that on that night the father woke his daughter and raped her.
On April 24, the victim told her mother about what had happened and the mother reported the matter to the police.
The father was arrested and charged.
He was remanded to Bomana prison and the matter will return on Sept 26 to check on police file.