Evidence vital in court: Bidar

SOMETIMES it’s easy to make allegations about sexual assault but difficult to establish the truth, senior magistrate Cosmas Bidar says.
He made the comments on Wednesday at the Waigani committal court after dismissing a rape case against Emmanuel Bongere who was charged for assaulting an 18-month-old girl.
Bidar said the medical evidence that was present in court was of “no use” and the other evidence was the statement of the victim’s mother.
He explained that the committal court was supposed to consider if there was sufficient evidence to commit a defendant to face trial.
Magistrate Bidar was also frustrated that a senior police officer conducting investigations into the matter had done a ‘lousy job’.
It was alleged that on Dec 2 last year, the victim who lived with her parents at the Murray Barracks single quarters in NCD ran into Bongere’s room next to the family’s .
She victim later ran to her mother when called.
The mother suspected that Bongere had raped her child and reported the matter to police.