Father pays for abandonment

THE Mt Hagen District Court has ordered a father to pay K3,000 to his three children for not looking after them for more than three years.
Magistrate Donald Joseph yesterday ordered Kewa Wari from Kai village in Hagen Central, Western Highlands, working with Oil Search Ltd in Hela to pay K100 each to his three children, totalling K300 every fortnight. Joseph up held an application filed by the children’s mother Las Oinda who sought maintenance from her husband.
Oinda told the court yesterday that her husband had not provided for his children and her while they lived in his village for three years and six months.
She told the court that her children Natasha, 12, Nathan, 7, and Nakodi, 2, suffered because their father had not provided the basic necessities for them such as clothes, lunch money and their other needs.
Oinda said two of her children were in school but she was struggling to keep them there.
“For three and half years now, the children’s father has not supported us in his village,” she said.
Joseph ordered Wari to meet education and medical expenses of his children until they reached the aged of 18.
Joseph said parents had a duty and responsibility to their children and must not neglected them.
He said the wellbeing and welfare of the children were important and parents needed to be there for them.
“As parents, we discuss and bring children out into this world and we must fulfil our responsibilities by providing food, clothing, shelter, put them through school, meeting their other needs and make them become good citizens of this country,” he said.