GBV a complex issue: Kramer

MINISTER for Justice Bryan Kramer told Parliament that police easily give up on gender-based violence (GBV) victims because of their tendency to withdraw cases, especially against their husbands.
Kramer said this made police lose interest in the case and they work on other cases.
“GBV is an extremely complex, challenging national issue and there is no quick-fix and essentially deals with people’s behaviour, therefore, people are both the problem and the solution,” he said.
“For gender-based violence, there has been many studies and the essential issue throughout society and nation.
“The core is our family and that is a threat to our families.
“The issue of justice and law enforcement is another issue.
“We are not only dealing with the law but also the enforcement, as they say law is just a piece of paper until someone wants to enforce it, and that enforcement not only begins in the community but also in the law enforcement, judicial system and then prison.
“For the judiciary that may take one or two years and the conviction can and could be five or 10 years, at the end of the day, what’s the use of resourcing our police to do a job or judiciary to take a case, only to not resource our Correctional Services.
“Everyone that does a crime – they all end up at Correctional Services.
“I want to commend the committee reports brought in less than two months. I note 71 recommendations with many under judiciary reform.”
“Department of Justice and Attorney General will table this in our meeting.
“Action plan will be put together as road map for working with Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary and Correctional Service.”