Father charged with raping daughter, 15

By GIDEON KINDIWA
A 38-YEAR-OLD father charged with raping his 15-year-old daughter for more than a year was slapped with a K2,500 bail by the Waigani Committal Court.
The father, through his lawyer David Kayok from the Public Solicitor’s Office, filed for K500 bail before magistrate Ernest Wilmot.
The father, from Haku’s Limanmanu Village in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, was charged with raping his daughter numerous times between March last year and July this year in their 8-Mile home in Port Moresby.
Kayok told court that the accused “was innocent until proven guilty, so he could be granted bail”.
“He is self-employed and runs a small construction company which he has put much time, effort and money into it,” he said.
“Since his detention, his business has been at risk with no one capable of running it.
“He is also the sole breadwinner of his family.
“If he is continuously detained, his family will be affected, he said adding that the daughter was living with her mother who had divorced the accused, so the father would not interfere with her.
Police prosecutor Peter Samghy objected saying the accused was the biological father of the victim and had a great chance of interfering with the victim and other witnesses.
“Risks in the defendant’s business and the welfare of his family are consequences of the criminal charge and should not be considered,” he added.
Wilmot ordered the father to post K1,500 and his two guarantors to post K500 each.
The father allegedly raped his daughter at home, in his office and in a lodge on several occasions.
On July 31, the father wanted to rape his daughter again but found that she was menstruating.
The girl reported the rapes to her mother and her father was arrested.