Evidence provided by wife ‘exaggerated’, man walks free

A MAGISTRATE dismissed a case of domestic violence because the evidence provided by the wife was “exaggerated”.
“I find (her) story to be exaggerated and not truthful,” Magistrate Seth Tanei said in the Boroko District Court.
Police alleged that on Jul 3, 2021, at Duran Farm in 8-Mile, Port Moresby, Elizah Dilu of Chimbu beat up wife Mercy Peter using a stick. Dilu told the court that he became angry after his wife left their 18-month-old child at home for nine days and disappeared.
Tanei said Peter never explained why she left the child with the father, and that her story was all over the place.
“She said Dilu assaulted her using a knife and a stick and told his friends to rape her,” he said.
“She then changed her story and said someone else had a knife which was used to injure her.”
Tenei said no photos or medical reports of her injuries were submitted to the court.
The court heard that Peter after nine days returned home and kicked her husband who was sleeping, never explaining where she had been.
Tanei said her actions provoked the husband to react the way he did. “The defence of provocation stands for (Dilu) because the (wife) had neglected the child without (explaining why).”
He dismissed the case and ordered that Dilu’s bail money of K200 be refunded.
He also warned Dilu that wife-beating was a bad habit which he should avoid, and that he was lucky that the wife did not have enough evidence to prove her case in court.