GBV victims told to apply for permanent protection order

By JOYCE INGIPA
A MAGISTRATE has advised victims of gender-based violence (GBV) to apply for a permanent interim order instead of an interim one which is effective for only 30 days.
Family and Juvenile Court Magistrate Kari Poawai told a group of women attending the 2019 Papua New Guinea’s women’s forum in Port Moresby yesterday that women had a right to get an interim protection order (IPO) under the Family Protection Act.
“The interim protection order for victims of GBV is for only 30 days,” Poawai said.
“If 30 days are over, you are no longer protected by the law.
“In that case, victims need to apply for a permanent protection order,” Poawai said.
She said a person who breached the conditions of a family protection order could face fine not exceeding K10,000 and imprisonment not exceeding three years.
The family court also deals with family maintenance cases.
“The word has gone out and now our court is filling up every day,” she said.
She said they were issues which restrained them from carrying out their work effectively at the family court.
“We have only one court room allocated to us and only three female magistrates.
“It restrains us from carrying out our work on time,” Poawai said.
“We wait until the civil cases are over so we can use the other court rooms,” she said.
The two-day forum is to discuss women’s political, economic and social empowerment.
Bel Isi project manager Danielle Winfrey said the organisation assisted victims of gender-based violence by obtaining protection orders which many did not know how to go about doing it.
“We provide case management and service for our clients who do not know about the processes involved in obtaining an interim protection order .
“Even though we target clients in the private sector, we also attend to victims of gender-based violence in the public sector at no cost.”