Court releases parents

By HEZRON KISING
THE Lae District Court ordered a couple, remanded by police for marijuana possession, to be released immediately so that the parents can care for their young children.
Magistrate Tera Dawai ordered the release on grounds that the couple’s two-year-old was too young to be placed under the care of a relative or guardian and that the other five-year-old was ill and needed urgent medical treatment.
Dawai was also told that the sick child was with the grandparents in Chimbu.
Upon ordering the couple’s release, Dawai advised and reminded the parents to attend all future court hearings.
The couple allegedly sold marijuana in Lae to pay for their child’s medical bill.
The toddler was with the couple when they were arrested by police and remanded in the Lae town police lock-up for two days.
The male accused gave an oral submission in court that police (allegedly) assaulted him and took his and his wife’s personal belongings, including K148.
The toddler was unhurt, the court heard.
When the police station cell guard was asked by the court, he said nothing was given to him by the arresting officer when the couple was arrested.
The court also heard that the toddler had not been breastfed for two days while the mother was under detention.
Dawai said allegations of police seizing personal belongings of suspects and offenders were becoming common nationwide, and if true, it was an abuse of the law.
“Everything taken from a person when he/she is arrested must be given to a police station cell guard for record purposes and safe keeping,” Dawai said.
The magistrate then directed the couple to report the matter to the police internal investigation division and adjourned hearing to July 8.