East Sepik man faces rape, sexual charges

A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Karakumun village in West Yangoru, East Sepik, facing a rape and sexual penetration charge, has been committed to stand trial in the Lae National Court.
Police report presented in court alleged that Marai Kasuwang, on Jan 1, 2017 raped his wife and then on Jan 21 this year forcefully penetrated her with a stick and later inserted the handle of a spade into her vagina.
His actual charge is persistent sexual penetration.
The incidents happened at Yalu village, Huon Gulf in Morobe.
Committal court magistrate Edward Kupo, when committing Kasuwang yesterday, told him that he could ask for bail in the National Court when he appeared for his trial on July 5.
Meanwhile, Kupo in an interview, raised concern that police had to seek medical advice before laying charges relating to attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding and assaulting.
He said sometimes police misinterpreted and laid charges that did not necessarily match the type of injuries inflicted by people on another person.
“Miscalculation on the part of the police in laying right charges may result in the accused person, if convicted, serve longer sentences when actually the injuries inflicted are much lighter,” Kupo said.
He said police should with the assistance of a medical doctor carefully identify the rightful charge or charges to lay before actually laying the charges.
Kupo said that penalties for injuries caused under each of the four categories differed and it was unfair if a person was sentenced to a longer term for not-so-serious injury.