ENB abuse cases rising

THERE is an increase in the number of abuse cases of violence against women and children related to alcohol in East New Britain.
Chairperson of the Family and Sexual Violence Committee, director of Grace counselling and ENB provincial women’s council president Ruby Matane raised this concern in Kokopo last Thursday.
Matane said statistics in the last six months showed 107 reported cases of women and 33 of children who had been sexually abused by adults under the influence of liquor.
She said there had been two reported cases where a woman had been dragged by her husband on the road resulting in serious injuries.
In another case, a woman had her face all bruised and was traumatised by the actions of the perpetrators.
Matane said both cases were related to homebrew.
She added that another child had been sexually abused by her biological father who had been under the influence of alcohol.
Matane said all the reported cases had been referred to the police with those affected sent to the hospital for medical treatment.
She said if nothing was done about such issues, the number of related cases would continue to increase and would reflect a sick society.
She said a lot of women reported had seen welfare officers and ward councillors but nothing had been done.
They returned to the source of violence which placed them in vulnerable situations because they were then attacked or assaulted again.
She said children were traumatised by those experiences and had become voiceless and defenceless against the perpetrators.
Matane said at most times, compensation and mediation was entertained at the ward level and the victim was blamed for the assault but the cases did not get reported.
She said women and children did not report such cases in fear of retaliation or revenge and women continue to suffer because authorities and leaders do not address such issues.